How is the link between state and commercial interests seen in deforestation?

Correct answer: The state received revenue, while traders obtained timber and land for plantations

Under colonial rule, forests were treated as sources of revenue and commercial profit. The state gained income from timber, land revenue and exports, while traders and plantation owners gained timber and land for plantations such as tea, coffee or rubber. Thus, the shared interests of the state and commercial groups encouraged deforestation. Option B is the closest opposite idea: colonial authorities often cleared forests for commercial use rather than fully protecting them. Exam tip: mention revenue, timber and plantation land together.