How did forest survey become a tool of power in commercial forestry?

Correct answer: It let the state measure and control trees and timber resources

A forest survey was not merely an exercise in collecting information. In commercial forestry, the colonial state wanted forests to produce timber, railway sleepers, and other profitable goods. To do this, officials needed detailed knowledge of the kinds, number, location, and quantity of trees. Surveying therefore made the forest easier for the government to classify, mark, regulate, and exploit. It also reduced the freedom of communities that had traditionally used forest resources.

The correct choice is B because measurement supported control over trees and timber resources. Once officials mapped forests and recorded valuable species, they could create reserved forests, issue permits, restrict cutting, and plan commercial felling. Option A concerns festivals, not administration; C reverses the historical process because forests were taken under state control; and D is incorrect because commercial forestry depended on market demand. Thus, survey became an instrument of state power.