Class 9 History Chapter 4 Extra Question Answers - Forest Society and Colonialism (Deducted from CBSE 2021-22 examination)

1) What is meant by 'deforestation'?

Ans: Deforestation is the large-scale cutting down or removal of forests resulting in the loss of tree cover and the conversion of forest land to non-forest uses such as agriculture, grazing or settlements.  

2) Which commercial crops were grown by British after deforestation?

Ans: The British promoted cultivation of commercial crops such as jute, sugar, wheat and cotton. These were grown to supply raw materials to British industries and to meet the food and fibre demands of rapidly growing urban populations in Britain and its empire.  

3) Why were forests considered unproductive by the British?

Ans: The British regarded forests as unproductive because they appeared wild and uncultivated. They believed such land could be brought under cultivation to grow crops that would produce revenue and increase the state's income. This view led them to clear forests for agricultural expansion.  

4) How could English ships be built without a regular supply of strong and durable timber?

Ans: The British addressed the need for durable timber by: 
(i) sending search parties from Britain to explore the forests of India and identify suitable trees; 
(ii) felling trees on a massive scale and exporting vast quantities of timber from India to Britain, thus ensuring a regular supply for shipbuilding.  

5) How spread of railways created a new demand for timber?

Ans: The spread of railways increased demand for timber because: 
(i) wood was used as fuel for early locomotives; 
(ii) railway tracks required wooden sleepers to hold the rails in place; 
(iii) timber was also used for the interior fittings of railway coaches. As tracks expanded, large numbers of trees were felled to meet these needs.  
6) Who was the first Inspector General of Forests in India?

Ans: A German forest expert, Dietrich Brandis, was appointed the first Inspector General of Forests in India. He played a key role in establishing forest administration and practice in the British period.  

7) Name the forest Institute of Dehradun set up in 1906 by Brandis.

Ans: The institute set up by Brandis at Dehradun in 1906 was the Imperial Forest Research Institute.  

8) What does 'Scientific Forestry' mean?

Ans: Scientific forestry refers to the method where natural mixed forests were cleared and replaced by plantations of a single species planted in straight rows. These plantations were managed according to plans that specified how much could be cut each year and when areas should be replanted so that timber production could be sustained.  

9) Name the three categories of forests as mentioned in the Act of 1878.

Ans: The three categories were: Reserved forests, Protected forests and Village forests.  

10) Which species of trees were promoted for the building of ships or railways?

Ans: Teak and sal were promoted because their wood is strong and durable, making them suitable for shipbuilding and for railway sleepers.  

11) From which fruit was oil extracted for cooking and lighting lamps?

Ans: Oil for cooking and for lighting lamps was extracted from the fruit of the mahua tree.  

12) What was the use of a dried scooped out gourd?

Ans: A dried, scooped-out gourd was commonly used as a portable water bottle or container for carrying liquids.

13) What was the effect of Forest Act on the people living nearby?

Ans: Forest Acts caused hardship for local people. Many were forced to steal wood for daily needs; if they were caught they faced punishment or had to give bribes to forest guards. Harassment by officials became common.  

14) What do you mean by Swidden Agriculture?

Ans: (i) Swidden agriculture, also called shifting cultivation, is a traditional method practised in parts of Asia, Africa and South America.
(ii) A piece of forest land is cleared and cultivated for a few years; when soil fertility declines, the community moves to a new patch and lets the previous land recover.  

Swidden Agriculture 

15) What kind of mixture of crops were grown in these plots of forests?

Ans: The crops varied by region: in Central India and parts of Africa they grew millets; in Brazil the common crop was manioc; and in much of Latin America people grew maize and beans.  

16) How did new forest laws affect the hunter forest dwellers?

Ans: (i) Many forest dwellers who depended on hunting small and large animals lost their customary rights.
(ii) Hunting was prohibited under the new laws and those caught were punished as poachers, depriving them of an important source of food and livelihood.  

17) How many tigers were killed by British administrator George Yule?

Ans: George Yule is reported to have killed 400 tigers.  

18) Give one example of a community which had left their traditional occupations and started trading in forest products.

Ans: With growing demand for rubber in the mid-nineteenth century, the Mundurucu people of the Brazilian Amazon, who had mainly cultivated manioc, began collecting latex from wild rubber trees to supply traders.  

19) What kind of products did nomadic communities of India like Banjaras trade in?

Ans: Nomadic communities such as the Banjaras traded in a variety of forest and animal products, including elephants, hides, horns, silk cocoons, ivory, bamboo, spices, fibres, grasses, gums and resins.  

20) What were 'Criminal tribes' forced to do by the British?

Ans: Communities labelled as 'criminal tribes' by the British were often forced to abandon their traditional livelihoods and made to work under supervision in factories, mines and plantations.  

21) Which tribes of India were recruited to work on tea plantations?

Ans: Labour for tea plantations was recruited from forest communities such as the Santhals and Oraons from Jharkhand and the Gonds from Chhattisgarh.  

22) Name the river which flows across Bastar from east to west.

Ans: River Indrawati flows across Bastar from east to west.  

23) Name the communities living in Bastar.

Ans: Communities living in Bastar include the Maria and Muria Gonds, Dhurwas, Bhatsas and Halbas.  

24) Where is Bastar located?

Ans: Bastar is located in the southernmost part of Chhattisgarh and it borders Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Maharashtra.  

25) If people from a village of Bastar want to take wood from the forest of another village, what would they do?

Ans: They would pay a small fee, known locally as devsari, daud or man, in exchange for the right to take wood from another village’s forest.  

26) Who were 'forest villager'?

Ans: Some villagers in Bastar were allowed to remain inside reserved forests on condition that they worked without pay for the forest department—cutting and transporting timber and protecting forests from fire. These people were called 'forest villagers'. 

27) Name the leader who rebelled against the British.

Ans: The leader who rebelled was Gunda Dhur from the village of Nethanar.  

28) Where is Java located?

Ans: Java is a rice-producing island in Indonesia.  

29) Which colonial power ruled over Indonesia?

Ans: The Dutch (from the Netherlands) were the colonial power that ruled over Indonesia.  

30) Which community of Java were skilled forest cutters and shifting cultivators?

Ans: The Kalangs of Java were known as skilled forest cutters and shifting cultivators.  

31) What restrictions were imposed by the Dutch in Java forest laws?

Ans: The Dutch imposed several restrictions, for example:
(i) People were not allowed to graze their cattle in certain forest areas.
(ii) Transporting wood without an official permit was forbidden.
(iii) Travelling on forest roads with horse-carts or cattle was prohibited.  

32) Who was Swrontiko Samin?

Ans: Swrontiko Samin was a man from Randublatung village in Java who began to question and resist the idea that the state had exclusive ownership of forests.  

33) What was 'A Scorched Earth Policy'?   

Ans: In Java, shortly before the Japanese occupation, the Dutch followed a Scorched Earth Policy in which they destroyed sawmills and burned large stacks of teak logs so that these resources would not fall into Japanese hands.      

34) What are the various uses of forests in our day-to-day lives?

Ans: Forests provide many everyday products and services: (i) Wood and paper are used for furniture, desks, doors, books and school supplies; dyes and spices come from forest plants; leaves such as tendu are used to wrap bidis; gums, resins, honey, coffee, tea and rubber are forest products used daily.
(ii) Oil from sal seeds is used in chocolates; tannin from some trees is used in leather-making; medicinal herbs are derived from forests.
(iii) Forests also supply bamboo, fuelwood, charcoal, packaging materials, fruits, flowers and habitat for animals and birds that support livelihoods.  

35)   What were the main causes of deforestation in India during the British rule?

Ans: The main causes were: (i) encouragement of commercial crops such as jute, sugar, wheat and cotton to feed growing urban populations and supply raw materials to British industries; (ii) the view that forests were unproductive and should be cleared for cultivation to increase revenue for the state.  

36) How were forests cleared to expand the railway network in India in the early 19th century?

Ans: (i) The expansion of railways from the 1850s created heavy demand for timber.
(ii) Wood was needed as fuel for locomotives and sleepers were required to lay tracks.
(iii) As a result, many trees were felled; the government gave supply contracts to private contractors who often cut trees indiscriminately.  

37) State any three main characteristics of Tropical deciduous forests.

Ans: Main characteristics of tropical deciduous forests are: (i) they are the most widespread forests in India; (ii) they are also called monsoon forests because they occur in regions with moderate to heavy seasonal rainfall (about 70–200 cm); (iii) many trees shed their leaves for about six to eight weeks during the dry summer season.  

38) What circumstances led to the foundation of 'scientific forestry' by the German expert Dietrich Brandis?

Ans: (i) Brandis believed a systematic method was necessary to manage and conserve forests and that trained specialists were needed.
(ii) He sought legal rules and official sanction to regulate forest use.
(iii) He advocated restrictions on tree felling and grazing to preserve forests for timber production.
(iv) He helped set up the Indian Forest Service in 1864 and contributed to the Indian Forest Act of 1865.
(v) The Imperial Forest Research Institute at Dehradun was established in 1906.
(vi) The system promoted by Brandis and his colleagues became known as scientific forestry.  

39) What do you know about Scientific Forestry?

Ans: (i) Scientific forestry involved cutting down natural mixed forests and replacing them with single-species plantations planted in straight rows.
(ii) Forest officials surveyed areas, estimated resources and prepared working plans to manage the forests.
(iii) Plans specified how much to cut each year and required replanted areas to be managed so that timber could be harvested again after a set rotation period.  

40)   How were forests classified on the basis of the Forest Act, 1878?

Ans: Classification under the Act of 1878 was: (i) Reserved forests — the best forests, from which villagers could not take anything; (ii) Protected forests — forests that were protected but from which villagers could still collect some wood and produce under certain conditions; (iii) Village forests — forests near villages that villagers could use for their needs but not for commercial exploitation.  

41) How did Forest Acts affect the villagers?

Ans: (i) Forest Acts caused severe hardship for villagers.
(ii) Villagers were often forbidden to cut wood for their houses, graze cattle, collect fruits and roots, hunt or fish in these forests.
(iii) Many were driven to steal wood and, if caught, suffered punishment or had to bribe forest guards.
(iv) Police constables and forest guards commonly harassed villagers by demanding free goods or labour.  

42) How did hunting become a big sport for the Indian people?

Ans: (i) Hunting had long been part of the culture of courts and nobility in India; Mughal paintings often show princes enjoying hunts.
(ii) Under colonial rule, hunting by British officials and officers increased greatly in scale, and as a result many species, including tigers, were driven near extinction.  

43) In what ways did the British regulate forest trade?

Ans: (i) The British granted exclusive rights to large European trading firms to trade in forest products from particular areas.
(ii) They restricted grazing and hunting by local people.
(iii) Many pastoralists and nomadic communities lost their livelihoods and were forced into factory, mine and plantation labour.  

44) How did Indian labour suffer at the British hands in the plantations?

Ans: (i) Labourers from forest communities such as the Santhals and Gonds were recruited to work on tea plantations in Assam.
(ii) They received low wages and worked under harsh and unsafe conditions.
(iii) Many were kept as bonded labourers and found it difficult to return to their villages, effectively tying them to the plantations.  

45) What were the main causes of the revolt of Bastar?

Ans: The main causes were: 
(i) in 1905 the British banned shifting cultivation, hunting and collection of forest produce, affecting local livelihoods; 
(ii) some villagers who were allowed to stay in reserved forests had to work free for the forest department cutting and transporting trees and protecting forests from fire; 
(iii) other villages were displaced without notice or compensation; (iv) villagers suffered from increased land rents and demands for free labour by officials; (v) these problems were worsened by famines in 1899–1900 and 1907–08, leading to revolt by the people of Bastar.