How did colonial rule turn timber like teak from a biological resource into an economic resource?

Correct answer: By commercially exploiting it for ships, railway sleepers and construction

Colonial rule used durable, valuable timber such as teak on a large scale for shipbuilding, railway sleepers and construction. This commercial demand and controlled extraction turned it from a biological resource into an economic resource. Option B is incorrect because the colonial state's main concern was revenue and industrial use, not religious value. Exam tip: Remember teak in connection with ships and railways.