what do you mean by colonialism? How did forests were affected by colonial rule?

1) Colonialism is a system of acquisition and maintenance of colonies over a native territory by people of another country. The following are some aspects of colonialism that made it disastrous for the colonies:

• It encompasses the social, political and economic life of the colony. Political and economic decisions are taken by the colonisers, often with the intention of serving their own interests.

• The relationship between the coloniser and the colonised is unequal in nature. The economy of the colony is reoriented to serve the needs of the ruling country. The profits accrued from trade in the colonies are utilised for the development of the rulers rather than natives.

• The colony serves both as a source of raw materials and as a market for finished goods. It is also a source of cheap labour. The natural resources are utilised by the colonisers to fulfil industrial demands in their own country.

• Colonialism is linked to imperialism and serves to exploit the colonies by establishing political control over them which is later translated into economic, social and cultural control. Foreign settlers inhabit colonies to make profits in trade.

2) Colonial rule witnessed immense deforestation.The main causes of deforestation in India during the British period was the pressure of British government to grow commercial crops like jute,sugar etc. which were required to meet the industrial requirements in Britain.