Question

How did the people of Bastar react against the British forest policies? What were its consequences?

Answer 1

The people of Bastar got worried when the colonial government proposed to reserve two-thirds of the forest in $1905$ and stop shifting cultivation, hunting and collection of forest produce. To oppose the forest policies initiative was taken by the Dhurwas of the Kanger forest where reservation first took place.
(i) In $1910$ mango boughs a lump of earth, chillies and arrows, began circulating between villages.
(ii) Every village contributed something to the rebellion expenses.
(iii) Bazaars were looted, the houses of officials and traders, schools and police stations were burnt and robbed, and gain redistributed.
(iv) Most of those who were attacked were in some way associated with the colonial state and its oppressive laws.
Consequences:
The British reacted harshly to it and sent troops to suppress the rebellion.
(i) The British surrounded Adivasi's camps and fired upon them.
(ii) People who took part in the rebellion were beaten and punished.
(iii) Most villages were deserted as people fled into the jungles.
(iv) It took three months for the British to regain control.
(v) However, they never managed to capture Gunda Dhur, the prominent leader of the movement. In a major victory for the rebels, work on reservation was temporarily suspended and the area to be reserved to roughly half of that planned before $1910$.