‘Forest Conservation without Conservancy’: A Study on the Strategic Aspects of the Inner Line Reserve in Colonial Assam

Abstract

The article tries to understand how forest conservation in colonial Assam was used to facilitate British political administration in the region. It highlights on the Inner Line Forest Reserve situated in the frontier region of Lushai Hills and the Cachar district of the province that was established more with the purpose to protect the tea gardens of Cachar from Lushai raids than with any plans of forest conservation. ‘Inner Line’ was the name given to this buffer forest zone as it served the purposes of Inner Line Regulation than any conditions of colonial forest administration in India. The article has attempted to trace the background of Inner Line Regulation in the region and its implementation in the hill areas of the territory. It endeavours to understand why the application of colonial forest administration in Lushai Hills was kept at its minimum level. The article tries to comprehend that the creation of Inner Line Reserve was another British management mechanism to tackle the tribes of Lushai Hills.