1. 1. How the people in Bastar protected their forest
(Or)
To prepare a note about the beliefs and customs of the people of
Bastar
Answer:
Different communities like Maria, Muria, Gonds, Dhurwas, Bharats and Halbs
lived in Bastar.
They spoke different languages but they followed common customs and
beliefs.
They believed that each village was given by earth and in return, they need to
do some offerings at each agriculture festival.
In addition to the earth, they show respect to the spirit of the river, the forest
and mountain.
The villagers they need to look all the natural resources within the boundary.
Some villagers they protected their forest by engaging watchmen and each
members of the village contribute some grain to pat them.
Regular meeting was conducted every year and the headmen of the village
pargana (Cluster of villages) would discuss issues including forest.
2. To prepare a note about the kalangs community in Java.
Answer:
The Kalangs of Java were a community of skilled forest cutters and shifting
cultivators.
In 1755 the Mataram kingdom of Java split, the 6000 Kalang families equally
divided between the two kingdoms.
Without their help to harvest the teak and for the kings to build their palaces
was not possible.
In 18th century, the Dutch tried to make the kalangs work under them.
In 1770, the kalangs resisted by attacking a Dutch fort at Joana, but it was
surppressed.
3. Why did the people of Bastar protest against the British? How they
organized their rebellions?
Answer:
The people of Bastar become worried about the British government and
proposed to reserve two thirds of the forest in 1905 and stop shifting
cultivation, hunting and collection of forest products.

2. Some villagers were allowed to stay in the reserved forest, but they need to
work for the British government cutting and transporting trees, and protecting
forest from forest fires.
These places were known as forest village.
The people of other villages were displaced without any notice or
compensation.
The terrible famine in 1899-1900 and again 1907-1908 added to their
problems.
To oppose these policies under the leadership of Dhurwas of Kanger forest took
the initiatives.
 In 1910 mango boughs a lump of earth, chillies and arrows, began circulating
between villages.
 Every village contributed something to the rebellion expenses.
 Bazaars were looted.
 The houses of officials and traders, schools and police stations were burnt and
robbed and grain redistributed.
But the British reacted harshly to it and sent troops to suppress the rebellion.
 The surrounded Adivasi’s camps and fired.
 The people who took part in the rebellion were beaten and punished.
 Most villages were deserted as people fled into the villages.
 It took three months for the British regain the control.
However they never managed to capture Gunda Dhur, the prominent leader of
the tribal movement.
4. What policy followed by the Dutch in Java to control the forest?
Answer:
Java is one of the rice producing islands in Indonesia. But once upon a time it was
covered mostly with forest. The Dutch started forest management and they wanted the
timber for making the ships. The people in java engaged in shifting cultivation.
The Kalangs community in Java was skilled forest cutters and shifting cultivators. In
1755 the Mataram kingdom of Java split, the 6000 Kalang families equally divided
between the two kingdoms. But without their help to harvest the teak and for the kings
to build their palaces was not possible. In 18th century, the Dutch tried to make the
kalangs work under them. In 1770, the kalangs resisted by attacking a Dutch fort at
Joana, but it was suppressed.
In 19th century Dutch formed a forest law in Java and restricted the villagers to access
the forest. After that the wood were cut only for some special purpose like making

3. river boat or constructing house. The villagers were punished or grazing cattle and
transporting wood without permit or travelling forest road with horse carts or cattle.
In 1882 two lakh eighty thousand sleepers were exported from Java. The Dutch
imposed rents on land being cultivated in the forest and then exempted some villages
from these rents if they worked collectively to provide free labour and buffaloes for
cutting and transporting timber. This was known as Blandongdiensten system
5. What do you mean by Blandongdiensten system?
Answer:
The Dutch imposed rents on land being cultivated in the forest and then exempted
some villages from these rents if they worked collectively to provide free labour and
buffaloes for cutting and transporting timber. This was known as Blandongdiensten
system.
6. How the Wars affected the forest?
Answer:
 In India forest department had cut the trees freely to meet British war needs.
This blind destruction and cutting down of forests to fulfill war requirements
affects forests as they get depleted rapidly and are slow to grow back.
 In Java, the just before the Japanese occupied the region, the Dutch followed a
‘Scorched earth policy’ destroying sawmills, and burning huge piles of giant
teak logs so that they would not fall into Japanese hands.
 The Japanese then exploited the forest recklessly for own war industries,
forced forest villagers to cut down forest. Many villagers used this opportunity
to expand cultivation in the forests. After the war the Indonesian government
faced lot difficult to get this land back.
7. The similarities in between the Bastar and Java related with the
colonial forest management.
Answer:
 The Bastar forest management was under the control of British and Java was
under the control of the Dutch.
 Both governments had need timber for their own use.
 Both governments had banned the shifting cultivation.
 Both governments had displaced the local communities from the forest area.
 Those who were worked for the colonial government were allowed to stay in
the forest. For this purpose the Dutch government introduced the
Blandongdiensten system.

4.  The rebellions in both Bastar and Java were suppressed by the colonial
government.