Page 60 - Sst Class - IX
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4. Forest Society and Colonialism
4. Forest Society and Colonialism
Memory Points
Memory Points
• Between 1700 and 1995, during the period of industrialisation, 13.9 million sq km of forest or 9.3 per
cent of the world’s total area was cleared for industrial uses, cultivation, pastures, and fuelwood.
• The disappearance of forests is referred to as deforestation.
• In 1600, approximately one-sixth of India’s landmass was under cultivation. As population increased
over the centuries and the demand for food went up, peasants extended the boundaries of cultivation,
clearing forests and breaking new land.
• Between 1880 and 1920, cultivated area rose by 6.7 million hectares.
• By the early nineteenth century, oak forests in England were disappearing. This created a problem of
timber supply for the Royal Navy
• The spread of railways from the 1850s created a new demand.
• Railways were essential for colonial trade and for the movement of imperial troops.
• To run locomotives, wood was needed as fuel, and to lay railway lines, sleepers were essential to hold
the tracks together.
• Each mile of railway track required between 1,760 and 2,000 sleepers.
• Large areas of natural forests were also cleared to make way for tea, coffee, and rubber plantations
to meet Europe’s growing need for these commodities.
• The colonial government took over the forests, and gave vast areas to European planters at cheap
rates.
• The Indian Forest Service was established in 1864 and helped formulate the Indian Forest Act of
1865. The Imperial Forest Research Institute was set up at Dehradun in 1906.
EXERCISE
EXERCISE
Choose the correct option
1. Which European power played a significant role in the exploitation of forest resources in India during
colonial times?
a. France b. Spain c. Portugal d. Britain
2. Which movement initiated by Amrita Devi Bishnoi to protect trees from being felled is famous in
Indian history?
a. Chipko Movement b. Jungle Bachao Andolan
c. Forest Satyagraha d. Tree Hugging Movement
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