How does the question of forest rights in the Bastar rebellion show the difference between legal rights and moral rights?
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: Colonial law restricted forest use, but local communities considered it unjust
In Bastar, the colonial government created reserved forests and controlled customary activities such as hunting, shifting cultivation, grazing, and collecting forest produce. Although these restrictions were legal under colonial law, they violated the communities’ livelihood needs and customary claims, so they were seen as morally unjust. Option B is the closest distractor, but colonial forest laws did not fully recognise traditional rights; they restricted them. Exam tip: a legal right comes from the law of the state, whereas a moral right may rest on justice, custom, and community acceptance.
Frequently asked questions
What is the correct answer to this question?
Colonial law restricted forest use, but local communities considered it unjust
Why is this the correct answer?
In Bastar, the colonial government created reserved forests and controlled customary activities such as hunting, shifting cultivation, grazing, and collecting forest produce. Although these restrictions were legal under colonial law, they violated the communities’ livelihood needs and customary claims, so they were seen as morally unjust. Option B is the closest distractor, but colonial forest laws did not fully recognise traditional rights; they restricted them. Exam tip: a legal right comes from the law of the state, whereas a moral right may rest on justice, custom, and community acceptance.
Which subject and chapter does this question cover?
This is a Class 9 History question. Chapter: Forest Society and Colonialism. Topic: Rebellion in the Forest.
