How can deforestation under colonial rule be understood through politics of resource control?

Correct answer: The state used laws and departments to decide who would use forest resources

Correct answer: A. Under colonial rule, forests were treated as valuable resources that the state wanted to survey, classify and control. Laws and forest departments defined permitted activities, restricted customary access and directed timber or other products towards state and commercial needs. This shows that deforestation was not simply a natural process: it was also connected with authority, property and decisions about who could benefit from the forest. A is correct because laws and departments gave the state institutional power over forest use. B is wrong because local communities did not receive all decision-making power. C is wrong because colonial authorities actively regulated resources. D is wrong because forests were linked to revenue, administration, railways, plantations and political power. Memory cue: control of forests means control of resources, rights and people’s access.