MeraPahad Community Of Uttarakhand Lovers

                  Three Types of Forest of District Forests in British Garhwal                 

                   British Administration in Garhwal   -125
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History of British Rule/Administration over Kumaun and Garhwal (1815-1947) -145
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            History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -979
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                              By: Bhishma Kukreti (History Student)


     Officials classified district forests into three classes-
  A type Forest – Villagers destructed those forests and did not have chance for deployment.
B Type Forests- Those forests were spread over huge area and there was no need for protection.
Closed type Forests- There was chance for growing such forests by care and protection.
   By 1906, Officials complete the identification of above forest types of district forests.
 Barring ‘Close Forests,  forests of nearby village boundaries, were called open forests. District officials handed over the forest management for open forests to Gram Pradhan and Patwaris.  Rangers, foresters, forest guards looked after only close forests.
 Forest guards were to tour around their respective beats and foresters were to supervise guards. Foresters  used to inquires other forest aspects too.
  Geographically, officials divided district forests into three ranges-
Northern or upper range
Central range
Southern range 
 Forest expert deputy rangers were looking after those ranges.
 A deputy conservator was taken on deputation from forest department for supervising all those rangers and other employees. Deputy conservator was reporting to district magistrate.
   The fundamental objectives for district forests were as –
 1-Conservation of present forests and planting new plants that there are wood availability.
2- Stopping land sliding by forestation or soil conservation by forest conservation
3-Protecting grazing land that farmers don’t take forest land for agriculture
4-Vegetation Protection of nearby river origins of non-snow zones
5- Scientific exploitation of north zone forests and arranging necessary funds for forest development in those ranges
 
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References 
1-Shiv Prasad Dabral ‘Charan’, Uttarakhand ka Itihas, Part -7 Garhwal par British -Shasan, part -1, page- 287-312
 2- Walton Garhwal Gazetteer pages 17-21

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                      Objectives of Dividing Forests into Range

                   British Administration in Garhwal   -127
       -
History of British Rule/Administration over Kumaun and Garhwal (1815-1947) -147
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            History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -981
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                              By: Bhishma Kukreti (History Student)

                 North Forest Range
  There were productive, potential forests in upper Garhwal barring Nagpur area. Plantation was completed there before world war first. The forests were spread for miles in Dudhatauli range. T  Farmers did not use those forests for agriculture as hills heights were more than 7000 feet. Bigger befits from Dudhatauli forests was that it was easy flowing the wood logs though Nayar and Ramganga Rivers in rainy season.
   District forest was getting sizable revenue from pine forests around Mandakini and Pindar Rivers. Wood logs could be flown through these rivers.  Population was scanty and decided that villagers could be allowed to convert forest land into agriculture land.
  There were following objectives fro district forest department –
1-Keeping south forest intact and develop destroyed forest
2-Developing the central range by new plantation
3-Scintifc Exploitation of upper forest range


XX   
References 
1-Shiv Prasad Dabral ‘Charan’, Uttarakhand ka Itihas, Part -7 Garhwal par British -Shasan, part -1, page- 287-312
 2- Walton Garhwal Gazetteer pages 17-21

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                Internal security and Law and Order in British Garhwal

            British Administration in Garhwal   -129
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History of British Rule/Administration over Kumaun and Garhwal (1815-1947) -149
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            History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -983
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                              By: Bhishma Kukreti (History Student)
 
 British captured Kumaon and Garhwal in 1815. Government allowed Commissioner Gardner for appointing Company’s civil servants. Gardner and his assistant Trail carried out the job. Initially, army at Shrinagar and Almora looked after aw an order. Commander Bulldock’s army suppressed people in Shrinagar.
      As per Regulation of 1817, Kumaon commissioner was allowed for taking decision about law and order barring murder, dacoit, treason. It was decided that a additional officer would be appointed for looking after serious crimes as cited above. However, the government did not appoint any additional officer for looking after serious crimes as there were least such crimes in Uttarakhand.
            Padhan or Village Chief
  There was no need for policing barring south Garhwal and south Kumaon (Bhabhar). Population was scattered in villages. Srinagar and Almora were only two small towns. Village population was busy in agriculture a peaceful job.  Government handed over the law and order job to Padhan, Thokdar. Those semi government officers (Padhan, Sayana, kamin, Thokdar etc) misused their powers and government had to take back their power for keeping law and orders. However, the situation in villages reamin same that is Padhan was the in charge of law and order.

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References 
1-Shiv Prasad Dabral ‘Charan’, Uttarakhand ka Itihas, Part -7 Garhwal par British -Shasan, part -1, page- 313 -333
 2- Atkinson , Himalayan Districts , Vol 2 pages 685

                            Importance of Patwari-2
            British Administration in Garhwal   -131
       -
History of British Rule/Administration over Kumaun and Garhwal (1815-1947) -151
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            History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -985
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                              By: Bhishma Kukreti (History Student)

       There was increase in numbers of Patwari by double in 1869 in Becket settlement. There 10% increase taxes for paying salaries of postal department, schoolings and Patwaris.Patwari system was rural policing and revenue collection system and remained untouched till British rule. From British officials views, Patwaris were the most  profitable among all government servants.
   It was easy for Patwaris for knowing the crime. Garhwalis were more interested in complaining their neighbors (Atkinson). Leaving their important jobs, Garhwalis first preferred for traducing against neighbors to officials. Many Garhwalis were as good as unpaid British spies.
  Ramsay commented on Patwari administration in Kumaon-Garhwal, “ In my opinion, the Patwari system in Kumaon-Garhwal is proving more simple than other parts of  India. To change that system is nothing but foolish act. The biggest benefit is that it is free or cheapest administration system barring police administration in Bhabhar. Therefore, this system of rural policing throu Patwari should be retained.”
   In 1880,Atkinson also suggested that no crime reports did not mean policing in rural region is useless. He advocated for Patwari system and did not suggest formal police administration in Kumaon and Garhwal.
 

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References 
1-Shiv Prasad Dabral ‘Charan’, Uttarakhand ka Itihas, Part -7 Garhwal par British -Shasan, part -1, page- 313 -333
 2- Atkinson , Himalayan Districts , Vol 2 pages 507-520

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                    Civil Police under British Rule

            British Administration in Garhwal   -133
       -
History of British Rule/Administration over Kumaun and Garhwal (1815-1947) -153
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            History of Uttarakhand (Garhwal, Kumaon and Haridwar) -987
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                              By: Bhishma Kukreti (History Student)

 The dacoits had shelters in Bhabhar and South Bhabhar from end of Mughal era.  Unable for stopping dacoits, Kumaun, Garhwal Kings and later, Gorkha administrators offered contract to Heria and Mewatis for security. Mewati and Heria had big groups.  There were disputes on inclusion of territories as Chandi Ghat , Bhabhar and Tarai in Garhwal or in Bijnor under British rule and those territories were sometime under Garhwal and sometime under Bijnor. The repeated changes increase dacoit looting problems.
  In 1824, the Gujar commander of Saharanpur Kalyan Singh alias Kalua increased his mischievous activities looting, in Dehradun region.  Dacoits of Kalua attacked on two military police posts and snatched weapons from there. Trail was helpless.
     Due to inability to control him, the numbers of his dacoit followers increased. Haridwar was best sheltering region for them. Dacoits of Kalyan Singh started looting pilgrims. When  Sirmour battalion killed Kalyan Singh, his two commanders Bhura and Kunwar his followers ran away to Bhabhar and Tari regions of Garhwal and took shelter there.
  Bird reported in 1837 that the Garhwal , Kumaon administration was totally failed in solving the problems of  dacoits in Bhabhar and Tarai. Dacoits tagged businessmen, common men and herdsmen on trees and left them hung there till death. Bird stated that several skeletons were seen on trees of deceased killed by dacoits,
  Government separated Chandi Taluka, Katoridun, Patalidun from Garhwal and merged with Bijnor. The Kashipur, Thakurdwara, Jaspur, Bajpur were separated from Kumaon and merged them with Moradabad and Pilibhit.
  However, the dacoit and looting problems remained same. Government again merged above cited regions in Garhwal and Kumaon respectively in 1842,
     With the population increase, government increased police posts and force, Government had to increase force due to noncooperation movement too.
     There was terror and anarchy of police on people. There was fear among common men about police. That psychological fear from police is still in the mind of general public in 2017. Police force was kept in urban region and no police activities were in villages.
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References 
1-Shiv Prasad Dabral ‘Charan’, Uttarakhand ka Itihas, Part -7 Garhwal par British -Shasan, part -1, page- 313 -333
 2- Atkinson , Himalayan Districts , Vol 2 pages 507-520