Why did colonial rule encourage cultivation expansion even though it reduced forests?

Correct answer: Because cultivation could increase both revenue and production

The direct answer is option A: colonial rulers encouraged the expansion of cultivation because it could increase both government revenue and agricultural production. To understand this, remember that colonial governments wanted regular income from the land. When more land was brought under cultivation, more crops could be produced and the government could collect land revenue or taxes from cultivators. Crops could also supply markets and industries, while commercial crops could be sold for profit. Thus, forests were often viewed by the colonial state as unused land that could be cleared for farming, even though this damaged forest ecosystems and the lives of forest communities. Option A is correct because it connects cultivation with both revenue and production. Option B is wrong because farming does not automatically create forests; clearing land for farms usually reduces forest cover. Option C is wrong because colonial governments strongly wanted taxes and revenue. Option D is wrong because railways were connected with agriculture: railways carried crops, timber and other goods to markets and ports, and they increased the demand for land and resources. The accurate exam idea is that colonial economic policy often valued taxable cultivation and commercial production more than forest conservation. Memory cue: more cultivated land meant more taxable land for the colonial government.