The aim of the article is to analyze the British Forest Policy in Colonial India and its impacts comprehensively. Indian States’ minimal intrusion into Forests and its inhabitants was breached by the British to the utmost exploitation of Forest Resources as well as its people. The time period of the study includes 19th and 20th century colonial India with special focus on Central India. The Study Design and Methodology used includes reading and analyzing various Primary and Secondary Sources including books, research papers, seminars, National Archives Reports, GIS mapping etc. By all the analysis, one can formulate the Results as such that the British because of their own considerations like Timber procurement and increasing land revenue, started controlling forest resources by prohibiting or banning traditional forest practices by the local people like hunting, shifting cultivation or grazing of cattle by bringing out legislations like The Indian Forest Acts. All these changes led to tempering with Forests like growing Sal, Teak and Deodar instead of local trees, clearing forests for cultivation or developing hunting as a Sport added to the Environmental, Economic and Social woes for Indians although they reaped humongous benefits for the British. The locals tried to protest in various ways but they were either crushed or placated with minimal reforms and if still not succumbed then were branded as Criminal Tribes under draconian Act of Criminal Tribes Act. Thus the colonial State tried to maintain its hegemony by using all means.
Author(s) Details:
Ms Bhumika
Department of History, School of Social Science, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda-151401, India.
Sanjeev Kumar
Department of History, School of Social Science, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda-151401, India.
Recent Global Research Developments in Impacts of British Forest Laws in Colonial India
“Environmental History and British Colonialism in India: A Prime Political Agenda” by Vandana Swami [1] : This article explores the role of environmental history in the context of modernity, emphasizing the need to integrate nature into theoretical discourses. It discusses environmental colonialism and its impact on peripheral societies, including India.
“British Forest Policy in India: The Imperial Dilemma” [2]: This study delves into the complexities of British forest policy in colonial India, highlighting the challenges faced by imperial administrators in balancing exploitation and conservation.
“Colonialism and Forestry in India: Imagining the Past in Present Politics”[3]: This work discusses the impact of British colonialism on the forests of the Western Himalayas, emphasizing the historical context and its relevance in contemporary politics.
“Tribal People, Forest Ecology and Colonial Rule in Central India”[4]: Investigating tribal customary rights over natural resources, this study sheds light on the economic and cultural significance of forests for tribal survival during colonial rule.
References
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- Singh, N. K. (2022). British Forest Policy in India: The Imperial Dilemma. International Journal of.
- Sivaramakrishnan K. Colonialism and Forestry in India: Imagining the Past in Present Politics. Comparative Studies in Society and History. 1995;37(1):3-40. doi:10.1017/S0010417500019514
- Panigrahi, N., Patra, S. (2022). Tribal People, Forest Ecology and Colonial Rule in Central India: A Retrospective Look. In: Behera, M.C. (eds) Tribe, Space and Mobilisation. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-19-0059-4_6
