CBSE and NCERT Solution

Describe the Saminist Movement in Indonesia. Ans. (i) The Saminist Movement started in the last decade of the 19th century in Java. (ii) Surontiko Samin of Randublatung village, a teak forest village headed the movement. (iii) The Dutch government forced the farmers to pay taxes on land and restricted villagers access to forest by enacting the Forest laws in Java. (iv) Samin questioned state ownership of the forest. He argued that the state had not created the wind, water, earth and wood, so it could not own it. (v) Soon a widespread movement started. Samin’s sons-in-law also helped to organise the movement. By 1907, 3000 families started following the ideas of Samin. (vi) Some of the rebels protested by lying down on their land, when the Dutch came to survey the land. Some even refused to pay taxes or fines or perform free labour.

Discuss how the changes in forest management in the colonial period affected the following groups of people: → Shifting cultivators → Nomadic and pastoralist communities → Firms trading in timber/forest produce → Plantation owners → Kings/British officials engaged in shikar Ans. (i) New forest laws banned shifting cultivation. Many communities who practised shifting cultivation were forcibly displaced from their homes in the forests. Some had to change occupations, while some resisted through large and small rebellions. (ii) Grazing and hunting were banned under the new forest laws. It made the life of pastoralist communities difficult. Some of the nomadic communities began to be called ‘criminal tribes’, and were forced to work instead in factories, mines and plantations. (iii) Trade was conducted under complete regulation. The British administration gave European firms the sole rights to trade in Forest products of certain areas. This was a huge profit-making steps...

Why were forests affected by wars? Ans. (i) The two world wars had a disastrous impact on forests. In India, working plans were abandoned and the forest department cut trees freely to meet the British war needs. (ii) In Java, the Dutch followed the ‘scorched earth policy’ destroying sawmills and burning teak logs to prevent them from falling into Japanese hands. (iii) After Japan occupied Indonesia, it recklessly exploited the forests to meet the needs of their own war industries. Many villagers took this opportunity to expand cultivation in the forest. (iv) After the war, it was difficult for the Indonesian forest service to get this land back. (v) In India need for agricultural land brought people into conflict with the forest department’s desire to control the land and exclude people from it.

Between 1880 and 1920, forest cover in the Indian subcontinent declined by 9.7 million hectares, from 108.6 million hectares to 89.9 million hectares. Discuss the role of the following factors in this decline:  (i) Railways (iv) Commercial farming (ii) Shipbuilding (v) Tea / Coffee plantations (iii) Agricultural expansion (vi) Adivasis and other peasant users. Ans. (i) Railway : Railways were important for movement of imperial forces and commercial goods. Expansion of railways was one of the major causes of decline of forest area (a) The trees were cut and used for making sleepers that were put on railway tracks. (b) For one mile of railway track, nearly 500 trees were cut. This led to rapid deforestation (ii) Shipbuilding : Shipbuilding industry of Britain was another cause of deforestation (a) Oak forests of Europe were exhausted by the ship building industry. (b) The Indian forests were targeted to provide hard and durable wood to build ships for the Royal Navy. (c) This led to...

The people of Bastar believe that each village was given its land by the Earth and in return, they look after the Earth by making some offering at each agricultural festival. In addition to the Earth, they show respect to the spirits of the river, the forest and the mountain. Since each village knows where its boundaries lie, the local people look after all the natural resources within the boundary.  Read the above passage and answer the following questions.  (i) What are some of the beliefs regarding nature of the communities of Bastar? (ii) What values do you imbibe from the above passage ? Ans.  (i) A number of different communities live in Bastar and speak different languages but share some common customs and beliefs. These are : (a) The people believe that each village was given its land by the Earth and thus they look after the Earth by making some offerings at each agricultural festival. (b) Respect is shown to the spirits of the river, the forest and the mountain...

How did the people of Bastar react against the British forest policies? What were its consequences? Ans. Rise of Revolt in Bastar : (i) When the colonial power proposed to reserve two - thirds of the forest in 1905 and stop shifting cultivation, hunting and collection of forest product, the people of Bastar became worried. (ii) Some people were allowed to stay in ‘forest villages’ on the condition that they worked for the forest department and protected the forest from fires. Other people were displaced without any notice or compensation. (iii) For long the villagers had been suffering from increased land rents and frequent demands for free labour and goods by colonial officials. (iv) Moreover there were two terrible famines one in 1899-1900 and other in 1907 - 1908. People begin to gather and discuss these issues in their village councils, but the initiative was taken by the Dhurwas of Ranger forest, where reservation first took place. (v) In 1910, mango boughs, a lump of earth, chill...

Describe some of the common customs and beliefs of the Bastar people. Ans. (i) The people believed that each village was given its land by the Earth and thus they look after the earth by making some offerings at each agricultural festival. (ii) Respect is also shown to the spirits of the river, the forest and the mountain. (iii) As each village was aware of their boundaries, all the natural resources within that boundary were looked after by the local people. (iv) If people from a village want to take some wood from the forests of another village, they pay a small fee called dand or man. (v) Some villages also protect their forests by engaging watchmen and every household contributes some grain to pay them.

What circumstances led to the foundation of ‘scientific forestry’ by the German expert Dietrich Brandis? Ans. (i) Brandis felt that a proper system had to be adopted to manage forests and that people had to be trained in the science of conservation. (ii) He needed legal sanction and rules on the use of forests. (iii) He felt that the felling of trees and grazing had to be restricted so that forests could be preserved for timber production. (iv) He set up the Indian Forest Service in 1864 and helped formulate the Indian Forest Act of 1865. (v) The Imperial Forest Research Institute was set up at Dehradun in 1906. (vi) The system they taught here was called ‘scientific forestry’.

Explain the ideas of Dietrich Brandis for the management of forests in India during British period. Ans. (i) Brandis felt that a proper system of managing forests was to be introduced. (ii) The people had to be trained in the science of conservation. (iii) Rules about the use of forest resources had to be framed. (iv) Felling of trees and grazing had to be restricted. (v) Forests were to be preserved for timber production.

‘The introduction of railways had an adverse impact on the forests. Justify by giving examples. Ans. (i) Need for Sleepers : Sleepers were the basic inputs required for constructing a railway line. Each mile of a railway track required between 1700 to 2,000 sleepers. To meet this demand, large number of trees were felled. (ii) Fuel : To run locomotives, wood was needed as fuel. As railway was being spread throughout India more and more wood was required which could be used as fuel. (iii) Expansion of railway tracks : From the 1860s, the railway network expanded rapidly. By 1890, about 25,500 km of track had been laid. In 1946, the length of the tracks had increased to over 765,000 km. As the railway tracks spread throughout India, a larger and larger number of trees were felled. As early as the 1850s, in the Madras Presidency alone, 35,000 trees were being cut annually for sleepers. (iv) Contract to private individuals : The Government gave out contracts to individuals to supply the...

‘The expansion of cultivation is a sign of progress’. Do you agree with the statement? Justify your answer with arguments.  OR  Explain reasons for the expansion of cultivation by the colonial rulers in India. Ans. In the colonial period, cultivation expanded for a variety of reasons. These are : (i) In Europe, foodgrains were needed to feed the growing urban population the demand for which increased largely in the 19th century. (ii) The colonial rulers considered the expansion of cultivation as a sign of progress. (iii) The British government directly encouraged the production of commercial crops like jute, sugar, wheat and cotton to get more profit. (iv) Europe needed raw materials for industrial production. (v) In the early 19th century, the colonial state thought that forests were unproductive. So forests had to be brought under cultivation and land could yield agricultural products and revenue. In this way the income of the state enhanced.

Why were forests important to the villagers? Ans. (i) Forests were useful as the people used forest products in a variety of ways. (ii) Fruits and tubers were eaten because they were nutritious and herbs were used for medicinal purposes. (iii) Bamboo was used to make fences, baskets and umbrellas. (iv) The wood was used to make agricultural implements like yokes and ploughs. (v) A dried out gourd was used as a portable water bottle. (vi) Oil for cooking and lighting lamps was acquired from the fruit of the Mahua tree. (vii) The creepers were used to make ropes and leaves could be used stitched together to make disposable cups and plates.

What are the similarities between colonial management of the forests in Bastar and in Java? Ans. The similarities between colonial management of the forest in Bastar and in Java are : (i) In both cases, the forests came to be owned by the state and the villager’s access to forests was restricted. (ii) In both countries, the colonial government placed restrictions on hunting, collection of forest produce and on shifting cultivation. (iii) Both in India and Java, the need to manage forests for ship-building and railway led to the introduction of a forest service.

Who was Surontiko Samin? What did he do? Ans. (i) Surontiko Samin was a villager who lived in the Randublatung village, in Indonesia. (ii) He started a movement questioning state ownership of forests. The movement gained momentum. By 1907, 3,000 families were following his ideas. (iii) People protested by lying down on their land when the Dutch came to survey it, others refused to pay taxes, fines or perform any labour.

What was the Blandongdiensten system? Ans. (i) In Indonesia, the Dutch imposed rents on the land which was cultivated in forests. (ii) Certain villages were exempted from paying taxes but in return they had to work collectively to provide free labour and buffaloes for cutting and transporting timber. (iii) This was known as the Blandongdiensten system.

Who were the Kalangs? Mention characteristics of this community. Ans. The Kalangs were a tribal community of Java. Their four characteristics are : (i) They were skilled forest cutters and shifting cultivators. (ii) They had a great skill in building palaces. (iii) They were so valuable that in 1755, when the Mataram kingdom of Java split the 6000 Kalang families were equally divided between the two kingdoms. (iv) When Dutch began to gain control over the forests in the 18th century, they tried to make the kalangs work under them, the resistance to which was suppressed.

How did the local people look after and protect the forest in Bastar region ? Ans. (i) The people of Bastar showed respect to the spirits of the river, the forest and the mountain. Since each village knew its boundary. (ii) If the people from a village wanted to take some wood from forests of another village, they paid a small fee called ‘devsari’, ‘dand’ or ‘man’ in exchange. (iii) Some villagers also protected their forests by engaging watchmen and each household contributed some grain to pay them. (iv) Every year there was one big hunt where the headman of villages in a ‘pargana’ met and discussed issues of concern, including forests.

State the reasons why shifting cultivation was banned under European colonialism in India. Ans. (i) European foresters felt that land used for cultivation every few years could not support trees for railway timber. (ii) Moreover, when a forest was burnt, there was a danger of the flames spreading and burning valuable timber. (iii) Shifting cultivation also made it harder for the government to calculate taxes. Therefore, they banned shifting cultivation.

(i) What is shifting cultivation?  (ii) What were its local names in Central America, Africa and India? Ans. (i) (a) In shifting cultivation, parts of the forests are cut and burnt in rotation. (b) Seeds are sown in the ashes after the Arst monsoon rains and the crop is harvested by October - November. (c) Such plots are cultivated for few years and then left fallow to enable trees to grow while another area is cut for use. (ii) In Central America this practice is called milpa, it is called tavy or chitemene in Africa and penda, bewar, podu and kumri in India.

If you were in the Government of India in 1862, responsible for supplying the railways with sleepers and fuel on such a large scale, what were the steps you would have taken ? Ans. If I was in Government of India in 1862 and responsible for supplying the railways with sleepers and fuel, I would have taken the following steps : (i) In areas where trees are cut for making sleepers, plant similar nature of trees to those that are cut, so that the forest cover is maintained. (ii) Try to increase coal mining and supply this to the railways as fuel instead of wood for running the steam engines. (iii) Limit the cutting of trees by the natives of the forest to only what they personally require and not allow them to trade in wood. (iv) Prevent tribals from entering the forests to cut wood illegally.