Question

How did colonial rule affect tribal life?

Answer 1

Instruction:
The following points must be explained while answering this question:

• The effect on the tribal chiefs
• The effect on the shifting cultivators
• The effect on the forest life

Solution:
The British rule affected tribal life in the following ways:

• The effect on the tribal chiefs: The tribal chiefs lost much of their administrative power under British rule. They were forced to follow the British laws. They were required to pay tribute to the British and discipline the tribal groups on behalf of the British.

• The effect on shifting cultivators: The British forced the shifting cultivators to settle down and follow settled cultivation. They did so as the settled peasants were easier to control and administer than people who were always on the move.

• The effect on the forest life: The British came up with the Forest Acts. They declared the forests as state property and classified some of them as reserved forests. The tribals were prohibited from entering these forests which had formely been their home and means of sustenance.