why deforestation took place in 1600
Answers
With the increase in population during the course of time, there has been a high demand for food due to which the peasants had extended the boundaries of cultivation, clearing forests and breaking new land. This was one of the main causes of deforestation during those times.
The production of commercial crops like jute, sugar, wheat and cotton were directly encouraged by the British. In the 19th century, the demand for these crops had increased substantially in Europe where the food grains were required in order to feed the growing urban population and also the raw materials which were required for the industrial production.
The colonial state in the early nineteenth century considered forests to be really unproductive. They believed that the forests were just wilderness wherein the cultivation had to be done and further wherein the land could yield agricultural products as well as revenue to further lead to enhance the income of the state.
Due to this, the cultivated area rose by 6.7 million hectares between 1880 and 1920, cultivated area rose