discuss the role of following factors in the decline of forest cover in Indian sub continent railway commercial farming ship building agricultural expansion
Answers
The railways demands huge amount of sleepers which was made from wood in the period from 1880 and 1920. With the growth of the railway network the scale of deforestation also became large. Additional the English with there appetite for luxury also made their houses and railway coaches from wood, further increasing the demand for wood.
2) Shipbuilding
Ships were essential part of the military power of the British and so to maintain its military might shipbuilding becomes an important industry for the British.
Indian forests provided supply of oak trees when it was sharply reduced in Britain further increasing the demand for wood. A lot of wood was thus used to build ships which were then deployed elsewhere.
Thus shipbuilding was also a reason for large scale deforestation in India.
3) Agricultural expansion
With the growth of population in European demand of food grains also increased, this lead to the expansion of cultivated land in India. This land was ultimately cleared from forests.
4) Commercial farming
The demand of raw materials such as cotton, indigo increased for the expanding industries in Britain. This led to an increase in commercial farming commercial farming in India by clearing forests.
5) Tea/Coffee plantations
Tea and coffee’s demand increased in Britain and the weather of northeastern India and the eastern coast was perfect for coffee and tea plantation.
Large expanse of forests were cleared for plantations for British plantation owners with the land sold at very cheap rates.
6) Adivasis and other farmer users
Adivasis are protectors of forests so they were not part of deforestation but some farmers taking advantage of lax in administration had expanded the cultivated land as happened in Java.
Because of this slowly and gradually, although done unlawfully, significant amount of cultivatable land was encroached from forests for farming.
Question :-
Between 1880 and 1920, forest cover in the Indian subcontinent declined by 9.7 million hectares, from 108.6 million hectares to 98.9 million hectares. Discuss the role of the following factors in this decline:
Railways
Shipbuilding
Agricultural expansion
Commercial farming
Tea/Coffee plantations
Adivasis and other peasant users.
Answer :-
1. Railways
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.
2. Shipbuilding
The British Government needed huge ships for its Royal Navy. Ships are built of strong, durable timber. When the oak forests in England began to disappear the British attacked the forest resources in India. Vast quantities of timber was exported to England from India, for shipbuilding, thus depleting forests in India.
3. Agricultural expansion
As the population increased over the centuries, demand for food also increased. To meet the increased demand for food more land had to be cultivated. If more land had to be cultivated, forests had to be destroyed and brought under the plough. So, forests were cleared to meet agricultural expansion.
3. Commercial farming
During the Colonial period the demand for commercial crops like jute , sugar, wheat and cotton increased. Europe needed more food grain for its growing population and more raw material for its growing industrial production. So, forests were destroyed to enable commercial farming.
4. Tea/Coffee plantations
Vast areas of forests were given to European Planters, at a very cheap rate by the Colonial government. Natural forests were cleared to cultivate tea and coffee as there was a great demand for these commodities in Europe. Adivasis and other peasant users Only one-sixth of India’s landmass was under cultivation in the 1600s. Now, more than half the landmass is under cultivation as the population has increased rapidly. As the demand for food went up, peasants extended the boundaries of cultivation, clearing forests and cultivating new land.
The Adivasis were hired by the forest department, during the colonial period to cut trees and make sleepers for the railways. But the Adivasis were not allowed to cut trees to build their own houses.
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