How did centralisation of forest management in Java change local decision-making?

Correct answer: Village decisions became dependent on forest department permission

Direct answer: Option A is correct. Centralisation means that important decisions move from local communities to a central authority or department. In Java, forest management increasingly came under colonial officials and the forest department. Villages could no longer decide freely when to enter forests, collect products, cut wood, graze animals, or use land; their actions became dependent on official rules and permits. Option A accurately describes this loss of local decision-making. Option B is wrong because centralisation did not make villages command the forest department; it gave greater authority to the department. Option C is wrong because decisions did not become entirely private family matters. Option D is wrong because the centre became more involved, not less involved, in forests. Exam cue: centralisation usually means less local autonomy and more dependence on central permission.