GREEN IMPERIALISM AND COLONIALISM

TEAM MEMBERS:
DIPALI GOYAL
PRATIKSHA BHANSALI
TRISHA SAHA
AARYAN LAL DAS
SOURAV SARKAR
DECHEN TSHERING BHUTIA
TRISHA SAHA
THE INTERSECTION OF FOREST SOCIETY AND
IMPERIALISM
• Growth of Industries and Urban Centres: The chapter discusses the
growth of industries and urban centres ships and railways, and the new
demand in the forests for timber and other forest products.
• New Rules of Forest Use: It covers new rules of forest use, new ways of
organizing the forest, colonial control, how forest areas were mapped, trees
were classified, and plantations were developed.
• Deforestation: Deforestation means the disappearance of forests and is
not a recent problem. It began many centuries ago, but under colonial rule,
it became more systematic and extensive.
• Land to be Improved: Over the centuries, as the population grew and the
demand for food went up, peasants started clearing forests and breaking
new land.
• The Rise of Commercial Forestry: British were worried that the reckless
use of trees by traders and the use of forests by local people would destroy
forests.
DIPALI GOYAL
PRE-COLONIAL FOREST CULTURE

The forest dwellers were actual owners of the

FORESTS.
• Individuals who lived in and around back woods
region are the Ancestral public known as the
forest dwellers.
• They come up short on the fundamental
conveniences of life; they are subject to Forests
for their livelihood.
• The forest dwellers in history were the
NISADAS. They lived in forests and depended upon
them for their livelihood.
• Early PURANAS, communities of the NISADAS
PRATIKSHA BHANSALI
 ADVENT OF GREEN IMPERIALISM
Indian Forest Act of 1927
The Indian Forest Act of 1927 was a significant piece of legislation that aimed to
regulate and control the production and trade of forest produce in British India. This
act had far-reaching consequences for the environment, indigenous communities,
and India's forests, often referred to as a manifestation of "green imperialism."
One of the key features of this Act was the establishment of government control over
forests. The Act classified forests into several categories, including Reserved Forests
and Protected Forests.
Reserved Forests: Under this Act, Reserved Forests were the most rigorously
protected. These forests were subject to stringent rules and regulations, and only the
government had the authority to grant access, collect forest produce, and control
activities within these areas.
Protected Forests: Protected Forests were another category defined by the Act. While
they were not as strictly regulated as Reserved Forests, the government still had
control over the resources and activities within these areas. Local communities often
had some access to Protected Forests for the collection of non-timber forest
produce, but these activities were subject to government oversight.
AARYAN LAL DAS
THE KOLS UPRISINGS IN 1832: Kols rebellion is a tribal community living on the Chhota
Nagpur plateau. The transfer of tribal lands and the coming of moneylenders, merchants
and British laws created a lot of chaos among them which led to a rebellion in 1831-32.
They killed the thikedars(contractors) who collected taxes by different means. Soon after
they killed the British officers.

THE SANTHAL REBELLION: In 1832, East India Company gave some land of the
Jharkhand region to Santhals, to settle and there will be no interference in their land. The
Santhals followed barter system and they faced problems while paying the Zamindars in
cash, so they had to borrow money from the moneylenders at an exorbitant rate. The
Santhals started revolts against the British policies.

THE BASTAR REBELLION: The people of Bastar believe that each village was given its
land by the Earth, and in return, they look after the Earth. When the colonial government
proposed to reserve two-thirds of the forest in 1905. The Bastar rebellion took place in
1910. All the village got united and started the rebellion against the British.

SOURAV SARKAR
AFTERMATH OF COLONIALISM
The forest was divided into three parts-reserved
forests,protected forest and village forest. Large forest areas
of princely states and Zamindars and adoption of the forest
policy of 1952 which recommended that 33% of the total
land area of the country should be brought under Forest or
tree cover. The National Forest Policy of 1988,ensure
environmental stability and maintenance of ecological
balance including atmospheric balance of all life forms,
human,animal and plant.
SOURAV SARKAR
 IMPERIAL FOREST DEPARTMENT
Established in 1864 by the Britishers
Dietrich Brandis, a German officer was appointed as an Inspector General of
Forests
Main role is to implement the forest conservation act.
Forests Rights of 2006-
- aims to recognize and secure the rights of forest-dwelling communities and tribes
POLICIES:-
-National Forest Policy formed in 1952, which recommended that 33per of the total
land area of the country should be under forest.
-Social Forest Policy formed in 1976, in which the government of India aimed to
reduce pressure on forests by planting trees on all unused lands.
-National Forest Policy
formed in 1988, to ensure environmental stability and maintenance of ecological
balance
- Amendment of National Forest Policy
the National forest policy was ammended in the year 1994 DECHEN BHUTIA
-New Draft in National Forest Policy
formed in 2018, aimed in bringing a minimum of 1/3 of India's total geographical
area under forest
CONCLUSION ON GREEN IMPERIALISM:-

IN CONCLUSION, THE UNDERSTANDING THE HISTORY,IMPACT AND

AFTERMATH OF GREEN IMPERIALISM PROVIDES VALUABLE INSIGHTS
INTO THE COMPLEX INTERPLAY BETWEEN COLONIAL POWERS,
NATURAL RESOURCES AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO LEARN FROM THE HISTORY,ACKNOWLEDGE THE

EXPLOITATION THAT TOOK PLACE, AND WORK TOWARDS SUSTAINABLE
AND EQUITABLE PRACTICES THAT PRIORITIZE ENVIRONMENTAL
CONSERVATION AND RESPECT FOR INDIGENOUS CULTURES.

TRISHA SAHA