What was forest policy in colonial period?
The first Forest Policy adopted by British Colonial Government in 1894 aimed at a custodial and timber-oriented management. The post-independence Forest Policy of 1952 recommended that 33% of the area of the country be brought under forest cover.
How did the colonial rulers establish their control over the Indian forest?
In 1840, the British Administration promulgated an ordinance called Crown Land (Encroachment) Ordinance by which all forests, wastes, unoccupied and uncultivated lands were vested in the crown. The shifting cultivation land was considered as uncultivated and therefore came under the aegis of the ordinance.
What was the initial attitude of colonial state towards forest in India?
British rule in India were characterised by indifference towards forest.
Why were forests cut during the colonial period?
The expansion of the railways became a necessity as trade and transportation increased. Wood was needed as fuel to run the steam locomotives. Wood was also needed to lay railway line sleepers , which held the tracks together. So, forests were destroyed to provide the wood needed for the expansion of the railways.
How forests were exploited during British period in India?
In east India the area under forest began to shrink as part of the process of colonialism. The British empowered local zamindars (landowners/landlords) to tax and control indigenous communities during the nineteenth century, and encouraged local communities to clear forest for cultivation.
What was the view of colonial government regarding the Indian forest?
Unproductive forests: The colonial government thought that forests were unproductive. They cleared forests for cultivation. Introduction of railway: The spread of railway from the 1850’s created a new demand.
What was the colonial forest management in Bastar?
Forest laws were enacted in Java and Bastar. These laws restricted villagers’ access to forests. Timber could be cut from only specified forests and under close supervision. Villagers were punished for entering forests and collecting forest products without a permit.
What did the colonial state think about forests?
Complete answer: In the nineteenth century, the colonial state regarded forests as unproductive. Forests were considered to be wilderness in the past. Colonial rulers told to keep it under cultivation so that it can yield agricultural products and enhance the income of the state.
Which forest were the best according to colonial government?
According to the 1878 Forest Act, three types of forest were to be designated; Reserved, protected, and village. Reserved forests were deemed the most commercially valuable and amenable to sustained exploitation.
What did the colonial state think about forest?
In the nineteenth century, the colonial state regarded forests as unproductive. Forests were considered to be wilderness in the past. Colonial rulers told to keep it under cultivation so that it can yield agricultural products and enhance the income of the state.
What is Indian Forest Act 1865?
The Indian Forest Act of 1865 extended the British colonialism in India and claimed over forests in India. The act of 1865 empowered the British government to declare any land covered with trees as a government forest and make rules to manage it.
Who were affected by the colonial Forest Act?
The Indian Forests Act of 1865 extended the British colonialism in India and claimed over forests in India. [1] The 1865 act was a precursor to the Forest Act of 1878, which truncated the centuries-old traditional use by communities of their forests and secured the colonial governments control over the forestry.
What is the history of colonial interests in India?
colonial interests in India in the late eighteenth century, “when forests were increasingly viewed as an asset of the state with great commercial potential”2. However, establishing control of the state over the forests was not easy: there were administrative difficulties and various types of usage rights of the
What is the colonial system of forest management?
The colonial system of forest management was continued even after with little modifications, emphasising revenue generation and commercial exploitation, while its policing orientation excluded villagers who had the most longstanding claim on forest resources.
Is there a colonial legacy of forest policy in India?
Some of its new features definitely go beyond the colonial legacy, In an apparent sense, it can even be treated as a remarkable discontinuity in the colonial legacy of forest policies in India. But even here, there are some
When was the Forest Act introduced in India?
1865: The Indian Forests Act of 1865extended the British Colonial claims over forests in India 1878: The Forest Act of 1878was introduced and it truncated the centuries-old traditional use by communities of their forests and secured the colonial governments control over the forestry.