Which policy of colonial rule was directly challenged in the Bastar rebellion?

Correct answer: Policy of bringing forests under state control

The direct answer is A: the policy of bringing forests under state control. The Bastar rebellion challenged colonial forest governance, especially reservation and restrictions on customary use. Reasoning: colonial authorities wanted to regulate forests for revenue and timber; they placed forests under departments and officials; local people resisted because their access and livelihood were affected. Option A is correct. Option B is about sea trade and does not explain a forest rebellion. Option C concerns education in Europe, not the administration of Indian forests. Option D concerns wages in textile mills and is unrelated to Bastar’s forest policy. The rebellion was not simply a protest against one isolated rule; it opposed the wider transfer of control from communities to the colonial state. Memory cue: Bastar rebellion equals resistance to state control, reservation and loss of customary rights.