Page 1 - Lesson Notes-SubTopic-2-How did colonial rule affect tribal lives Std-8-History-Ch-4

SAI International School
Class- VIII
Subject- History
Chapter-4 Tribals, Dikus and the Vision of a Golden Age
Sub Topic 2: How did Colonial Rule Affect Tribal Lives?
LESSON NOTES

What happened
to tribal chiefs? ⚫ The lives of tribal groups changed during the British rule.

⚫ Before the British arrived, the tribal chiefs were important
people.

⚫ They enjoyed economic power and had the right to administer
and control their territories.

⚫ But, their functions and powers changed under British rule.

⚫ They lost their administrative powers and were forced to follow

laws made by British officials in India.

What happened ⚫ The British wanted tribal groups to settle down as it was easier to
to the shifting control and administer settled peasants.
cultivation?
⚫ The British introduced land settlements to get regular revenue

sources for the state.
⚫ Land settlement means the British measured the land, defined
the rights of each individual to that land, and fixed the revenue

demand for the state.

⚫ The British effort to settle jhum cultivators was not very
successful.

⚫ Facing widespread protests, the British had to ultimately allow
them the right to carry on shifting cultivation in some parts of the
forest.

Forest laws and ⚫ Tribal lives were directly affected by the changes in forest laws.
their impact
⚫ Some forests were classified as Reserved Forests as they
produced timber which the British wanted.

⚫ The British people stopped the tribal people entering the forests
but they faced a problem of getting laborers.

⚫ So, the colonial officials came up with a solution. The colonial
officials decided to give jhum cultivators small patches of land in
the forests and allow them to cultivate.