Question

Explain the impact of various forest laws and policies which were adopyed by colonial rulers over colonial people

Answer 1

various forest laws and policies which were adopyed by colonial rulers over colonial people are:-

• Various restrictions : The Forest Act meant severe hardship for villagers : across the country. After the Act, all  their forest activities like cutting wood for their houses, grazing their cattle, collecting fruits and roots,  hunting and fishing became illegal.
• Impact on cultivators : Shifting cultivation was the most common cultivation practised by the people. But this  was banned because European foresters regarded this harmful for the forests.
• Displacement of the people: To protect the forests, the Europeans started displacing villagers without any  notice or compensation.
• Various taxes : The Europeans started imposing heavy taxes on the forest people.
• Loss of livelihood: The Europeans started giving large European trading firms, the sole right to trade in the  forest. Grazing and hunting by local people were restricted. In the process, many pastoralists and nomadic communities lost their livelihood.