PPT: Forest Society and Colonialism | Social Studies (SST) Class 9 PDF Download

 Page 1


Forest Society and 
Colonialism
Page 2


Forest Society and 
Colonialism
Introduction
Forest Products in 
Daily Life
From the paper in books to 
desks and tables, doors and 
windows, dyes for clothes, 
spices in food, and medicinal 
herbs - forests provide countless 
resources we use every day.
Incredible 
Biodiversity
In regions like the Amazon or 
Western Ghats, a single forest 
patch may contain as many as 
500 different plant species, 
representing remarkable 
biodiversity.
Rapid Disappearance
Between 1700 and 1995, during industrialisation, 13.9 million sq km of 
forest (9.3% of world's total area) was cleared for industrial uses, 
cultivation, pastures and fuelwood.
Page 3


Forest Society and 
Colonialism
Introduction
Forest Products in 
Daily Life
From the paper in books to 
desks and tables, doors and 
windows, dyes for clothes, 
spices in food, and medicinal 
herbs - forests provide countless 
resources we use every day.
Incredible 
Biodiversity
In regions like the Amazon or 
Western Ghats, a single forest 
patch may contain as many as 
500 different plant species, 
representing remarkable 
biodiversity.
Rapid Disappearance
Between 1700 and 1995, during industrialisation, 13.9 million sq km of 
forest (9.3% of world's total area) was cleared for industrial uses, 
cultivation, pastures and fuelwood.
Why Deforestation?
Deforestation means the cutting down 
of forests. This began long ago but 
became worse during colonial rule. 
Colonial times changed how people 
used and managed forests.
Colonial rulers cut down forests faster 
to get wood for industries and business. 
They ignored the old ways forests were 
cared for. They also ignored the needs of 
local people who had lived with forests 
for many years.
In India, forests were cut down for many 
reasons. People needed more land to 
grow food. Wood was needed for 
railways and ships. Forests were also 
cleared to grow crops for sale like tea, 
coffee, and rubber.
Page 4


Forest Society and 
Colonialism
Introduction
Forest Products in 
Daily Life
From the paper in books to 
desks and tables, doors and 
windows, dyes for clothes, 
spices in food, and medicinal 
herbs - forests provide countless 
resources we use every day.
Incredible 
Biodiversity
In regions like the Amazon or 
Western Ghats, a single forest 
patch may contain as many as 
500 different plant species, 
representing remarkable 
biodiversity.
Rapid Disappearance
Between 1700 and 1995, during industrialisation, 13.9 million sq km of 
forest (9.3% of world's total area) was cleared for industrial uses, 
cultivation, pastures and fuelwood.
Why Deforestation?
Deforestation means the cutting down 
of forests. This began long ago but 
became worse during colonial rule. 
Colonial times changed how people 
used and managed forests.
Colonial rulers cut down forests faster 
to get wood for industries and business. 
They ignored the old ways forests were 
cared for. They also ignored the needs of 
local people who had lived with forests 
for many years.
In India, forests were cut down for many 
reasons. People needed more land to 
grow food. Wood was needed for 
railways and ships. Forests were also 
cleared to grow crops for sale like tea, 
coffee, and rubber.
Land to be Improved
Expanding 
Agriculture
In 1600, approximately 
one-sixth of India's 
landmass was under 
cultivation. T oday, that 
figure has increased to 
about half, reflecting 
centuries of forest 
clearing for 
agriculture.
Commercial 
Crops
The British directly 
encouraged 
production of 
commercial crops like 
jute, sugar, wheat and 
cotton to meet the 
growing demand in 
nineteenth-century 
Europe for foodgrains 
and raw materials.
Revenue 
Generation
Colonial authorities 
viewed forests as 
"unproductive 
wilderness" that 
needed to be 
converted to 
agricultural land to 
yield revenue. 
Between 1880 and 
1920, cultivated area 
increased by 6.7 
million hectares.
Page 5


Forest Society and 
Colonialism
Introduction
Forest Products in 
Daily Life
From the paper in books to 
desks and tables, doors and 
windows, dyes for clothes, 
spices in food, and medicinal 
herbs - forests provide countless 
resources we use every day.
Incredible 
Biodiversity
In regions like the Amazon or 
Western Ghats, a single forest 
patch may contain as many as 
500 different plant species, 
representing remarkable 
biodiversity.
Rapid Disappearance
Between 1700 and 1995, during industrialisation, 13.9 million sq km of 
forest (9.3% of world's total area) was cleared for industrial uses, 
cultivation, pastures and fuelwood.
Why Deforestation?
Deforestation means the cutting down 
of forests. This began long ago but 
became worse during colonial rule. 
Colonial times changed how people 
used and managed forests.
Colonial rulers cut down forests faster 
to get wood for industries and business. 
They ignored the old ways forests were 
cared for. They also ignored the needs of 
local people who had lived with forests 
for many years.
In India, forests were cut down for many 
reasons. People needed more land to 
grow food. Wood was needed for 
railways and ships. Forests were also 
cleared to grow crops for sale like tea, 
coffee, and rubber.
Land to be Improved
Expanding 
Agriculture
In 1600, approximately 
one-sixth of India's 
landmass was under 
cultivation. T oday, that 
figure has increased to 
about half, reflecting 
centuries of forest 
clearing for 
agriculture.
Commercial 
Crops
The British directly 
encouraged 
production of 
commercial crops like 
jute, sugar, wheat and 
cotton to meet the 
growing demand in 
nineteenth-century 
Europe for foodgrains 
and raw materials.
Revenue 
Generation
Colonial authorities 
viewed forests as 
"unproductive 
wilderness" that 
needed to be 
converted to 
agricultural land to 
yield revenue. 
Between 1880 and 
1920, cultivated area 
increased by 6.7 
million hectares.
Sleepers On The Tracks
25,500
Railway Tracks (km)
By 1890, about 25,500 km of railway tracks had been laid across India, 
requiring massive amounts of timber.
2,000
Sleepers Per Mile
Each mile of railway track required between 1,760 and 2,000 wooden 
sleepers to hold the tracks together.
35,000
Trees Cut Annually
As early as the 1850s, in the Madras Presidency alone, 35,000 trees 
were being cut annually just for railway sleepers.
765,000
Track Length by 1946 (km)
By 1946, the railway network had expanded to over 765,000 km, 
dramatically increasing the demand for timber.
The expansion of railways created an unprecedented demand for timber. The British government contracted individuals to supply the required 
quantities, leading to indiscriminate cutting of trees. Forests around railway tracks rapidly disappeared as contractors fulfilled these massive orders.