Question

Discuss how the changes in forest management in the colonial period affected the following groups of people:

Shifting cultivators

Answer 1

The effect of changes in forest management in the colonial period on —

Shifting cultivators: Also known as swidden agriculture, shifting cultivation is a practice wherein part of a forest is burnt for farming; this is done in rotation. With the emergence of forest management, shifting cultivators were dispossessed of their occupation and displaced from their homes. The government found it difficult to calculate their taxes. The forest officials considered burning the forest dangerous because it could spread further; they also considered it a waste of fertile land, which could instead be used for growing railway timber. Shifting cultivators were forced to change professions, while some participated in large and small rebellions opposing the changes.