Discuss how the changes in forest management in the colonial period affected the following groups of people : (i) Shifting cultivators (ii) Nomadic and pastoralist communities (iii) Firms trading in timber/forest produce (iv) Plantation owners (v) Kings/British officials engaged in hunting.

(i) Shifting cultivators practice slash and burn agriculture.In this practice,

parts of the forest are cut and burnt in rotation. European foresters

regarded this practice as harmful for the forests. They felt that such land

could not be used for growing trees for railway timber and was

dangerous while being burnt as it could start a forest fire. This type of

cultivation also made difficult for the government to calculate taxes.

Thus, Colonial government banned shifting cultivation. As a result,

many communities were forcibly displaced from their homes in the

forests. Some had to change occupations, while some resisted through

large and small rebellions.

(ii) The reservation of forest areas by the British Government also sealed

the fate of many nomadic and pastoral communities like the Korava,

Karacha and Yerukula of the Madras Presidency lost their means of

livelihood. Earlier these people and their cattle depended totally on the

forest from which they were deprived because of the new forest management. Some of these communities began to be called ‘criminal

tribes’ and were forced to work in factories, mines, and plantations

under government supervision. Thus, these people were forced to

operate within new systems and reorganize their lives.

(iii) Firms trading in timber products were given the sole trading rights to

trade in the forest products of particular areas. They made huge profits

and became richer. The entire timber and forest trade passed on to

them. They became powerful and began to cut down trees

indiscriminately.

(iv) Plantation owners found that more and more forest land could be

cleared for plantations. The British had made it very clear that their

system of forestry would be scientific forestry, i.e., plantations.

Plantation owners began to reap profits as the British government gave

large areas of forest land to European planters.

(v) While the forest dwellers were deprived of their right to hunt deer,

partridges and a variety of small animals, the Indian Kings and British

officials were allowed to hunt freely in the reserved forests. Under the

colonial rule, the hunting increased to such an extent that various

species became extinct. A large number of tigers, leopards, wolves were

killed as sporting trophy. Hunting or 'shikar' became a sport. Later the

environmentalists and conservators realized many species of animals

needed to be protected and not killed.