Why were the Kalangs of Java known as a community of skilled forest cutters???

The Kalangs were a skilled community of woodcutters and shifting cultivators. They were considered valuable due to their skills that were required to harvest teak and engage in other construction activities. Their value can be gauged from the fact that when the Mataram kingdom of Java split in 1755, the 6000 Kalang families were equally divided between the kingdoms.