Q1: Read the following passage and answer the questions below:
The disappearance of forests is referred to as deforestation. While deforestation has been occurring for centuries, it became more systematic and extensive under colonial rule. In 1600, about one-sixth of India’s land was under cultivation. By the early 20th century, this figure increased drastically due to colonial policies. The British encouraged the production of commercial crops like jute, sugar, wheat, and cotton, which required clearing forests. They also believed forests were wastelands that needed to be converted into productive agricultural land. Between 1880 and 1920, cultivated land increased by 6.7 million hectares, leading to a significant decline in forest cover.
i. What is deforestation, and why did it increase under colonial rule? (1 mark)
ii. Why did the British consider forests as unproductive wastelands? (2 marks)
iii. How much cultivated land increased between 1880 and 1920? (1 mark)
Ans:
i. Deforestation is the large-scale clearing of forests, which increased under colonial rule due to agricultural expansion, commercial farming, and timber demands.
ii. The British believed forests were wastelands as they did not generate immediate revenue; they cleared forests to promote commercial crops and increase state income.
iii. Cultivated land increased by 6.7 million hectares between 1880 and 1920.
Q2: Read the following passage and answer the questions below:
By the early nineteenth century, oak forests in England were disappearing, creating a crisis for timber supply needed for shipbuilding. To solve this problem, the British started felling Indian forests for timber. Another major factor that increased timber demand was the rapid expansion of railways from the 1850s. Each mile of railway track required between 1,760 and 2,000 sleepers. The government gave contracts to individuals to supply timber, leading to indiscriminate tree felling. By 1890, around 25,500 km of railway tracks had been laid, leading to mass deforestation.
i. Why did the British need large amounts of timber from Indian forests? (1 mark)
ii. How did railway expansion contribute to deforestation in India? (2 marks)
iii. How many sleepers were required for one mile of railway track? (1 mark)
Ans:
i. The British needed timber for shipbuilding and railway construction, leading to mass deforestation.
ii. Railways required thousands of wooden sleepers for tracks; the government encouraged large-scale tree-cutting, causing forest depletion.
iii. Each mile of railway track required between 1,760 and 2,000 sleepers.
Q3: Read the following passage and answer the questions below:
Under British rule, new forest laws restricted the rights of local communities. The Forest Act of 1865, amended in 1878 and 1927, classified forests into reserved, protected, and village forests. Villagers were denied access to reserved forests, which were meant for commercial timber use. This law made shifting cultivation, grazing, and collecting wood and forest products illegal. Many communities that depended on forests for survival were forced to break laws, leading to frequent conflicts with the British forest officials.i. How did the Forest Act impact local villagers? (1 mark)
ii. What were the three categories of forests introduced by the Forest Act of 1878? (2 marks)
iii. Why were shifting cultivation and grazing banned in reserved forests? (1 mark)
Ans:
i. The Forest Act restricted villagers from using forests, making their traditional activities like grazing and wood collection illegal.
ii. The Act divided forests into reserved forests (for commercial use), protected forests (some local rights allowed), and village forests (for community use).
iii. Shifting cultivation and grazing were banned to preserve forests for timber and prevent fire hazards.
Q4: Read the following passage and answer the questions below:
The people of Bastar (present-day Chhattisgarh) had long depended on forests for survival. In 1905, the British proposed reserving two-thirds of the forest, banning shifting cultivation and restricting forest use. This created widespread anger among the Maria and Muria Gonds, Dhurwas, Bhatras, and Halbas. Led by Gunda Dhur, people looted bazaars, burned British houses, and attacked government officials. The British took three months to regain control, punishing rebels harshly. However, due to the resistance, the British reduced the reserved forest area.
i. Why did the Bastar Rebellion take place in 1910? (1 mark)
ii. How did the British respond to the Bastar rebellion? (2 marks)
iii. Who was Gunda Dhur? (1 mark)
Ans:
i. The rebellion occurred because the British restricted forest access, banning shifting cultivation and displacing villagers.
ii. The British brutally suppressed the rebellion, burned villages, and arrested leaders, but later reduced the reserved forest area.
iii. Gunda Dhur was a tribal leader from Bastar who played a key role in organizing the resistance.
Q5: Read the following passage and answer the questions below:
The British introduced scientific forestry, where natural forests were cleared and replaced with commercial plantations of teak and sal. This was meant to ensure timber supply for ships, railways, and industries. The Indian Forest Service was created in 1864, and the Imperial Forest Research Institute was set up in Dehradun in 1906. However, villagers suffered as they were denied access to forests for their daily needs like fuelwood, fodder, and food. Many ecologists now argue that scientific forestry harmed the environment as it reduced biodiversity.
i. What was the purpose of scientific forestry under British rule? (1 mark)
ii. Why did villagers oppose scientific forestry? (2 marks)
iii. When was the Imperial Forest Research Institute set up? (1 mark)
