The British encouraged forest clearance for a number of reasons. Which of the following is incorrect?
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → To acquire animals from forests
Option (1) To enlarge sources of land revenue — A reason. To the British, the extension of settled agriculture was necessary to enlarge the sources of land revenue, so they encouraged forest clearance.
Option (2) To acquire animals from forests — Not a reason. The British wanted the forests cleared and turned into fields; they wanted the forest people to give up hunting and take to plough agriculture, not to take animals from the forests.
Option (3) To produce crops for export — A reason. Settled agriculture on cleared land would produce crops for export and establish the basis of a settled, ordered society.
Option (4) To tame and civilize forest dwellers — A reason. The British saw forest people as savage, unruly and difficult to govern, so they felt that forests had to be cleared and forest people tamed and civilised.
NCERT (2026-27): “2.1 In the hills of Rajmahal … The British encouraged forest clearance, and zamindars and jotedars turned uncultivated lands into rice fields. To the British, extension of settled agriculture was necessary to enlarge the sources of land revenue, produce crops for export, and establish the basis of a settled, ordered society. They also associated forests with wildness, and saw forest people as savage, unruly, primitive, and difficult to govern. So they felt that forests had to be cleared, settled agriculture established, and forest people tamed, civilised and persuaded to give up hunting and take to plough agriculture.…” |