Unit Test (Solutions): Forest Society and Colonialism | Social Studies (SST) Class 9 PDF Download

Time: 1 hour
M.M.: 30
Attempt all questions.
Question numbers 1 to 5 carry 1 mark each.
Question numbers 6 to 8 carry 2 marks each.
Question numbers 9 to 11 carry 3 marks each.
Question numbers 12 & 13 carry 5 marks each.

Q1: The disappearance of forests is referred to as __________. (1 Mark)
(a) Afforestation
(b) Deforestation
(c) Conservation
(d) Plantation
Ans: (b)

Deforestation refers to the disappearance of forests, which became systematic and extensive under colonial rule in India.

Q2: Which type of forests were considered the best by the colonial government? (1 Mark)
(a) Village forests
(b) Protected forests
(c) Reserved forests
(d) Open forests
Ans: (c)

Reserved forests were considered the best by the colonial government, where villagers could not take anything for their own use.

Q3: The Imperial Forest Research Institute was set up in __________ in 1906. (1 Mark)
(a) Calcutta
(b) Madras
(c) Bombay
(d) Dehradun
Ans: (d)

The Imperial Forest Research Institute was set up at Dehradun in 1906 to teach scientific forestry.

Q4: Who was the first Inspector General of Forests in India? (1 Mark)
(a) Surontiko Samin
(b) Dietrich Brandis
(c) Gunda Dhur
(d) Alluri Sitarama Raju
Ans: (b)

Dietrich Brandis, a German expert, was appointed as the first Inspector General of Forests in India in 1864.

Q5: The blandongdiensten system was introduced by the __________ in Java. (1 Mark)
(a) British
(b) French
(c) Dutch
(d) Portuguese
Ans: (c)

The Dutch introduced the blandongdiensten system in Java, where villages provided free labour and buffaloes for timber cutting in return for rent exemption.

Q6: What were the main reasons for the expansion of cultivation under colonial rule? (2 Marks)
Ans: The British encouraged commercial crops like jute, sugar, wheat, and cotton to meet European demands for foodgrains and raw materials. Forests were seen as ‘unproductive wilderness’ and were cleared to increase agricultural land, revenue, and state income.

Q7: How did forest rules affect the practice of shifting cultivation? (2 Marks)
Ans: Shifting cultivation was banned as it was considered harmful to forest timber growth and made tax assessment difficult. This displaced many communities, forcing them to change occupations or rebel against the authorities.

Q8: What was the significance of the Bastar rebellion in 1910? (2 Marks)
Ans: The rebellion protested against the reservation of two-thirds of forests and bans on shifting cultivation, hunting, and forest produce collection. It forced the colonial government to suspend reservation temporarily and reduce the reserved area to half, marking a victory for the rebels.

Q9: Describe the impact of railways on forests during the colonial period. (3 Marks)
Ans: 

• Railways needed wood as fuel and 1,760–2,000 sleepers per mile of track.
• From the 1850s, network expansion caused massive tree felling; by 1890, 25,500 km of track were laid.
• Contractors cut trees indiscriminately, leading to rapid disappearance of forests along railway routes.

Q10: Explain how the Forest Act affected the lives of villagers in India. (3 Marks)
Ans: 

• The Act restricted grazing, tree felling, hunting, and collection of forest produce, making daily needs illegal.
• Villagers were harassed by forest guards and often forced to pay bribes.
• Forests were classified into reserved, protected, and village forests, with reserved forests having the strictest restrictions.

Q11: Discuss the role of war in deforestation, with examples from India and Java. (3 Marks)
Ans: 

• During both World Wars, working plans were abandoned and trees were cut freely to meet war needs.
• In Java, the Dutch destroyed teak logs to prevent them from falling into Japanese hands; the Japanese then exploited forests for industries.
• After the war, reclaiming forest land was difficult as people had expanded cultivation.

Q12: Explain the causes and effects of deforestation in India during the colonial period. (5 Marks)
Ans: Causes:

1. Population growth and demand for food led to clearing forests for cultivation.
2. Encouragement of commercial crops for European markets.
3. Railways needed huge quantities of sleepers and fuelwood.
4. Shipbuilding shifted to Indian timber after oak depletion in England.
5. Large plantations (tea, coffee, rubber) replaced natural forests.

Effects:

1. Cultivated area rose by 6.7 million hectares (1880–1920), forest cover declined by 9.7 million hectares.
2. Villagers lost access to resources; daily activities became illegal.
3. Bans on shifting cultivation and hunting displaced communities.
4. Some nomadic groups were labelled ‘criminal tribes’.
5. Biodiversity declined; species like tigers neared extinction due to overhunting.

Q13: Analyze the similarities in colonial forest management in India and Java. (5 Marks)
Ans: (i) Commercial Exploitation: Both the British in India and Dutch in Java focused on timber for shipbuilding and railways, leading to massive exports and deforestation.
(ii) Scientific Forestry: Both introduced scientific forestry; in India via Brandis and the Forest Act (1865, amended 1878/1927), planting single-species plantations. In Java, Dutch enacted laws restricting access, promoting teak harvesting under supervision.
(iii) Restrictions on Locals: Villagers' access was limited; in India, forests were categorized (reserved, protected), banning grazing and collection. In Java, wood cutting needed permits, grazing was punished, and blandongdiensten forced free labour.
(iv) Impact on Practices: Shifting cultivation was banned in both, displacing communities like Baigas in India and Kalangs in Java. Hunting became a colonial sport, extinguishing species.
(v) Rebellions: Changes sparked resistance; in India, Bastar rebellion (1910) reduced reserved areas. In Java, Samin's movement (1890s) challenged state ownership, with protests like refusing taxes.