Question

What do you mean by jhum cultivation? Explain about the jhum cultivation carried on by the tribal groups of the British time.

Answer 1

Instructions:
The answer must contain the definition of jhum or shifting cultivation together with the methods that were used in this type of cultivation. A short description of the life of the jhum cultivator must also be given.

Solution:
Jhum cultivation is also called shifting cultivation. In this type of cultivation, the people keep on shifting through the patches of land in the forest area, which they used for agriculture.
The jhum cultivators cut the tree canopies to allow sunlight to reach the ground. The vegetation on the land is slashed and burned. In this way, the land is cleared for cultivation and at the same time, the ash remains serve the purpose of fertilizer rich in potash.
The jhum cultivators of the British time did not practice ploughing the land for cultivation. They simply scratched the soil, by using the hoe, to make it suitable for cultivation. They broadcast or scattered the seeds on the prepared land.
After harvesting the crop, they left the used land fallow or uncultivated for several years. This way, the land regained its fertility.
The life of a jhum cultivator was undeniably linked to the forest. They needed the forest land to grow crops and move freely from one place to another.
This mode of cultivation thrived in the hills and forests of north-east and central India.