How will you understand agricultural expansion by linking it with colonial revenue?

Correct answer: More cultivation could mean more taxable land

Correct answer: A — more cultivation could mean more taxable land. The colonial government treated cultivated land as an important source of revenue. When forests were cleared and fields were created, the area under cultivation increased. This could allow the state to assess and collect land revenue from more land and more cultivators. Thus, agricultural expansion was not only about producing food; it was also connected with the colonial economic need for income. A is correct because it links the creation of fields with taxable land. B is wrong because land revenue was a major source of colonial income. C is wrong because clearing forests for cultivation generally reduced forest cover rather than being done only to protect forests. D is wrong because cultivation directly requires land. Memory cue: more fields often meant a wider revenue base for the colonial state.