The Last Frontier: people and forests in Mizoram

Author(s): Daman Singh
Size: 140 mm × 210 mm
Pages: 324
Binding: Paperback
Weight: 350 gms
Language: English
ISBN: 9788185419176
Cover Price:
Rs.450.00 / US $29.00
Special Price: Rs. 405.00 / US $27.00

Buy eBook

Book Details

The last frontier: people and forests in Mizoram details the relationship between the people and their environment, and between the environment and development. It is set in Mizoram, one of the seven states of the ecologically complex north-eastern region, a land where society and culture present a fascinating blend of tradition and modernity whose history and polity varies from that of most other parts of India. The book traces the environmental history of Mizoram, beginning in the nineteenth century, through colonial rule and into the post-Independence period. It examines the nature of biophysical resources and the influence of human activities on them. Finally, the management of forests by people and the state is analysed, including a detailed discussion on the system of shifting cultivation.

List of figures
List of tables
Foreword by Dr T N Khoshoo
Preface
Introduction: The last frontier

Part I: An environmental history of Mizoram

Chapter 1: The regime of village republics

Settlement in the Lushai hills
The supremacy of the village chief
Forests: abode of the spirits
Shifting cultivation or jhum
The influence of people on their environment
Parameters of resource use

Chapter 2: British occupation of the Lushai Hills

Compulsions for conquest
Economic importance of the Lushai Hills
Instruments of insulation
The system of administration
The new socio-religious order
Ecological implications of political events

Chapter 3: Forests and fields: colonial land use policy

State control over forests
The system of commercial extraction of forest produce
Revenue from forests
The traders’ lobby
Game versus vermin
The continuance of shifting cultivation
New farming methods
The drift of public policy

Chapter 4: The creation of Mizoram

The route to self rule
A limited taste of freedom
The struggle for Independence
From Union Territory to State
Isolation, alienation, and regionalism
Public participation in governance
Legitimizing shifting cultivation
Forests for the people
Implications for resource use

Chapter 5: The roots of environmental change

Religion
Education
Community relations
Growth and distribution of population
Occupational mobility
Urbanization
Land use policies

Part II: Management of resources: between people and the State

Chapter 6: Physiography, land cover, and land use

Geomorphology
Land forms
Climate
Soils
Types of vegetation cover
Land use

Chapter 7: Forests, their form and features

The extent of forests
Basic characteristics
The quality of forest resources
The wood and bamboo balance

Chapter 8: Keepers of the forest

The existence of village forest reserves
Norms governing village forests
Changes in area of village forests
Availability of forest produce
Control by the village council
Imperatives of local management
Forests in the hands of the State
The incidence of encroachment
Regulating commercial use of forests
Afforestation programmes
Imperatives of governmental management

Chapter 9: How shifting cultivation works

The element of collectivity
Community management of shifting cultivation
Preferred sites for j humming
Allotment of jhum plots
Clearing the forest
Burning
Sowing
Weeding
Harvesting
The element of uncertainty

Chapter 10: The tenacity of shifting cultivation

The village scenario
The dependence on shifting cultivation
The duration of jhum cycles
Levels of productivity

Chapter 11: The environmental impact of shifting cultivation

The post-jhum ecosystem
Effect on biodiversity
Climatic change due to deforestation
Floods in the plains
The role of fire -
Soil erosion and run-off
Sustainability of productivity
Myth, conjecture, and reality

Chapter 12: The new land use policy

A review of past strategies
The old New Land Use Policy
The Jhum Control Project
Changes in the New Land Use Policy
The alternative to shifting cultivation

Conclusion: People and forests in Mizoram

Appendices

Reserved tree species in the Lushai Hills
Domestic animals killed by wild animals in the North Lushai Hills as reported by village writers
The Lushai Hills District (Jhumming) Regulation, 1954
The Mizo District (Forest) Act, 1954
Socio-economic data of Mizoram
Agricultural statistics
Distribution of slope categories for select river catchments
Physical characteristics of soils in Mizoram
Tree species found in major forest types
Nature of slopes used in shifting cultivation
Percentage shares of land use categories in Mizoram
General characteristics of vegetation cover in Mizoram
Vegetation cover by strata
Growing stock per hectare by strata
Percentage distribution of stems per hectare by diameter class
Major species contributing to basal area in each stratum
Wood and bamboo consumption
The existence of village forest reserves
Changes in the extent of village forest reserves
Availability of trees and bamboos for domestic use
Detection of offences committed in safety and supply reserves
Revenue from forests
Carrying capacity of land under shifting cultivation: Mampui and Sairep village (1962)
Jhum cycles in Mizoram
Shifting cultivation in sample villages
Pattern of secondary succession after jhumming at Burnihat
Soil and water losses due to shifting cultivation
Farming systems research by ICAR RCNEHR (Shillong) at Burnihat: 1976-89
Rice production in Mizoram
Promising crops for cultivation in the north-eastern region

References

Index

List of figures

The location of Mizoram and the north-eastern region in India
Territories occupied by Mizo tribes before the British rule
The location of places mentioned in chapter 2 and chapter 3
Mizoram: geology
Mizoram: rivers
Mizoram: soil nutrient status
Mizoram: forest reserves

List of tables

Revenue obtained from the hill areas of Eastern Bengal and Assam, 1903-04
Receipts from forests of the Lushai hills district (in rupees, annas, paise)
Number of wild animals killed for which rewards were paid: 1943-44 to 1947-48
Percentage of literacy by sea
Percentage distribution of total main workers * (approximate estimate based on 1991 census)
Area under different categories of slope
The pattern of land use in Mizoram (1987-89)
Average soil loss and affected area (estimated for five catchments)
Extent of vegetation cover in Mizoram (1975-76)
Land use and land cover by thematic mapping (1989)
District-wise extent of forest (1987-89)
The extent of forests by different sources
The extent of vegetation cover by type
Growing stock of trees and bamboo by strata
Species diversity of strataThe legal status of forest
Family labour involved in clearing forest
Gross village income by source in Hmunpui (1964-65)
Output-input ratios of cultivation
Early succession at Burnihat and Sesawng
Coverage of the New Land Use Policy

Keywords

PLG_DEBUG_QUERIES_LOGGED

SELECT `data` FROM `joomla_session` WHERE `session_id` = 'cfm9ecjl7rcdrgnfgqh9gtkq8c'
SELECT `session_id` FROM `joomla_session` WHERE `session_id` = 'cfm9ecjl7rcdrgnfgqh9gtkq8c' LIMIT 0, 1
INSERT INTO `joomla_session` (`session_id`, `client_id`, `time`) VALUES ('cfm9ecjl7rcdrgnfgqh9gtkq8c', 0, '1738728000')
SELECT extension_id AS id, element AS "option", params, enabled FROM joomla_extensions WHERE `type` = 'component' AND `element` = 'com_users'
SELECT b.id FROM joomla_usergroups AS a LEFT JOIN joomla_usergroups AS b ON b.lft <= a.lft AND b.rgt >= a.rgt WHERE a.id = 1
SELECT id, rules FROM `joomla_viewlevels`
SELECT folder AS type, element AS name, params FROM joomla_extensions WHERE enabled >= 1 AND type ='plugin' AND state >= 0 AND access IN (1,1) ORDER BY ordering
SELECT extension_id AS id, element AS "option", params, enabled FROM joomla_extensions WHERE `type` = 'component' AND `element` = 'com_languages'
SELECT m.id, m.menutype, m.title, m.alias, m.note, m.path AS route, m.link, m.type, m.level, m.language,m.browserNav, m.access, m.params, m.home, m.img, m.template_style_id, m.component_id, m.parent_id,e.element as component FROM joomla_menu AS m LEFT JOIN joomla_extensions AS e ON m.component_id = e.extension_id WHERE m.published = 1 AND m.parent_id > 0 AND m.client_id = 0 ORDER BY m.lft
SELECT extension_id AS id, element AS "option", params, enabled FROM joomla_extensions WHERE `type` = 'component' AND `element` = 'com_product'
SELECT * FROM joomla_languages WHERE published=1 ORDER BY ordering ASC
SELECT id, home, template, s.params FROM joomla_template_styles as s LEFT JOIN joomla_extensions as e ON e.element=s.template AND e.type='template' AND e.client_id=s.client_id WHERE s.client_id = 0 AND e.enabled = 1
select * from material_master where category_id=1 and new_release>0 and web_display=1 order by new_release desc limit 0,4
select * from material_master where category_id=1 and best_seller>0 and web_display=1 /* AND material_id in (select virtuemart_product_id from joomla_virtuemart_products)*/ order by best_seller, year_publication desc limit 0,4
select * from material_master where category_id=1 and forthcoming>0 and web_display=1 /* AND material_id in (select virtuemart_product_id from joomla_virtuemart_products)*/ order by forthcoming desc limit 0,4
SELECT * FROM material_master where category_id=5 and web_display=1 and new_release>0 order by new_release DESC,material_id desc,level desc, category_id, year_publication desc limit 0,4
select material_master.*,highlight_master.highlight_description from material_master left join highlight_master on material_master.material_id = highlight_master.material_id where web_display ='1' and (isbn like '9788185419176')
select * from author_editor where material_id=240
select a.*,b.package_id as packageid,(select title from material_master where material_id = b.package_id) as packetitle, (select c_price_rupee from material_master where material_id = b.package_id) as pc_price_rupee, (select c_price_dollar from material_master where material_id = b.package_id) as pc_price_dollar, (select s_price_rupee from material_master where material_id = b.package_id) as ps_price_rupee, (select s_price_dollar from material_master where material_id = b.package_id) as ps_price_dollar from material_master as a inner join ( select material_id,package_id from pack_materials where package_id IN ( select package_id from pack_materials where material_id='240' ) order by package_id ) as b on a.material_id= b.material_id order by a.package_id,year_publication desc
select sector_id,category_id,relateditem from material_master where material_id='240'
select * from material_master where material_id in(161,946,992,995) order by material_id DESC limit 0,4
SELECT * FROM review where (material_id=240 and special>0)
SELECT m.id, m.title, m.module, m.position, m.content, m.showtitle, m.params, mm.menuid FROM joomla_modules AS m LEFT JOIN joomla_modules_menu AS mm ON mm.moduleid = m.id LEFT JOIN joomla_extensions AS e ON e.element = m.module AND e.client_id = m.client_id WHERE m.published = 1 AND e.enabled = 1 AND (m.publish_up = '0000-00-00 00:00:00' OR m.publish_up <= '2025-02-05 04:00:00') AND (m.publish_down = '0000-00-00 00:00:00' OR m.publish_down >= '2025-02-05 04:00:00') AND m.access IN (1,1) AND m.client_id = 0 AND (mm.menuid = 0 OR mm.menuid <= 0) ORDER BY m.position, m.ordering
SELECT distinct sector_id FROM material_master WHERE (sector_id >0)
SELECT distinct sector_id FROM material_master WHERE (sector_id >0)
select a.* from sector_master as a where a.sector_id in (6,21,7,25,25,7,14,25,10,61,63,1,11,16,18,44,36,35,1,3,7,9,10,25,25,61,6,14,7,63,6,21,17,13,19,11,7,5,9,18,7,23,1,10,3,5,8,11,6,5,13,14,17,19,21,25,63,3,5,11,7,44,26,6,26,3,19,21,63,16,18,44,6,29,6,8,6,7,1,3,4,5,8,9,10,13,12,14,17,19,20,21,24,27,29,34,35,36,19,27,19,27,19,21,7,14,25,5,25,7,3,8,9,10,7,25,3,1,7,8,9,10,11,59,23,26,25,63,16,18,6,7,17,19,21,24,27,2,4,5,18,11,7,18,1,21,7,36,59,7,9,23,11,60,2,3,5,6,23,21,29,9,19,7,59,7,8,9,19,34,4,6,9,21,29,4,6,9,21,29,11,5,15,3,2,4,6,19,21,29,4,6,6,26,25,14,3,25,5,25,29,4,6,21,1,2,7,63 ,7,6,21,19,7, 9, 60,21,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,13,14,19,23,24,25,29,33,34,35,36,6,19,8,10,19,6,14,6,7,25,25,26,6,14,7,6,2,4,6,12,13,21,24,5,7,7,3,10,25,3,7,7,25,6,7,21,6,7,25,3,2,4,6,7,8,10,9,13,14,17,19,21,24,25,35,9,1,7,23,25,34,21,25,6,19,21,7,11,25,7,6,21,5,6,9,11,25,29,34,9,1,7,23,25,9,10,7,8,7,19,21,7,19,6,21,25,14,7,6,21,19 ,21,24,2,7,21,7,5,9,25,11,7,44,9,11,25,44,4,6,4,6,18,21,7,35,7,10,7,59,2,6,14,18,21,7,3 ,19,27,11,7,9,3,6,7,21,6,5,9,25,7,3,1,8,5,6,9,11,25,29,7,10,19,6,2, 7, 6, 8, 21, 25,12,25,24,7,8,35,36,21,71,6,71,13,21,24,12,5,23,63,1,6,23,11,25,7,26,24,29,34,21,36,44,63,35,25,59,7,43,7,36,2,6,14,11,3,44,6,14,34,8,29,19,6,7,25,1,6,14,5,23,25,11,25,23,44,9,7,1,9,1,7,23,25,34,7,8,9,12,7,8,9,36,23,1,5,7,11,44,7, 8,17,6,3,7,10,1,36,34,25,36,15,29,5,7,23,25,7,21,25,34,36,5,7,9,25,35,36,35,6, 21, 24,1,7,9,23,25,44,59,1,3,6,7,19,21,23,25,33,26,35,36,42,14,25,35,36,3,7,9,23,10, 7,25,7,59,6,7,1,3,4,5,8,9,10,13,12,14,17,19,20,21,24,27,29,34,35,36,6,7,6,14,5,4,1,17,66,7,68,3,7,25,18,7,8,10,7,1,11,16,18,44,63,2,6,7,12,13,14,17,19,21,23,24,34,6,7,8,9,10,21,23,25,36,67,68,70,1,18,1,2,5,6,8,9,10,12,13,14,17,59,7,9,11,23,25,26,7,63,7,24,19,6,7,6,63,18,35, 7,10,9,25,5,25,63,34,23,18,16,44,3, 7, 8, 35,3,7,25,26,59,1,3,6,7,19,21,23,25,33,26,35,36,42,6,7,25,21,7,9,59,9,11,25,63,3,5,11,7,44,35,8,7,29,33,7,13,7, 25,26,59,7,14,6,19,14,5,12,13,17,7,15,34,69,1,7,10,25,23,4,6,19,29,21,3,7,9,10,23,25,26,34,25,26,5,7,9,23,7,63,11,69,2,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,13,17,19,21,23,24,25,35,36,2,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,13,17,19,21,23,24,25,35,36,25, 36,7,36,3,1,7,8,9,10,21,23,25,26,34,5,7,14,25,36,7,8,9,10,6,2,4,12,21,24,35,7,6,21,19,6,7) order by a.subject_desc asc
select a.* from sector_master as a where a.sector_id in (6,21,7,25,25,7,14,25,10,61,63,1,11,16,18,44,36,35,1,3,7,9,10,25,25,61,6,14,7,63,6,21,17,13,19,11,7,5,9,18,7,23,1,10,3,5,8,11,6,5,13,14,17,19,21,25,63,3,5,11,7,44,26,6,26,3,19,21,63,16,18,44,6,29,6,8,6,7,1,3,4,5,8,9,10,13,12,14,17,19,20,21,24,27,29,34,35,36,19,27,19,27,19,21,7,14,25,5,25,7,3,8,9,10,7,25,3,1,7,8,9,10,11,59,23,26,25,63,16,18,6,7,17,19,21,24,27,2,4,5,18,11,7,18,1,21,7,36,59,7,9,23,11,60,2,3,5,6,23,21,29,9,19,7,59,7,8,9,19,34,4,6,9,21,29,4,6,9,21,29,11,5,15,3,2,4,6,19,21,29,4,6,6,26,25,14,3,25,5,25,29,4,6,21,1,2,7,63 ,7,6,21,19,7, 9, 60,21,1,2,3,4,5,6,7,13,14,19,23,24,25,29,33,34,35,36,6,19,8,10,19,6,14,6,7,25,25,26,6,14,7,6,2,4,6,12,13,21,24,5,7,7,3,10,25,3,7,7,25,6,7,21,6,7,25,3,2,4,6,7,8,10,9,13,14,17,19,21,24,25,35,9,1,7,23,25,34,21,25,6,19,21,7,11,25,7,6,21,5,6,9,11,25,29,34,9,1,7,23,25,9,10,7,8,7,19,21,7,19,6,21,25,14,7,6,21,19 ,21,24,2,7,21,7,5,9,25,11,7,44,9,11,25,44,4,6,4,6,18,21,7,35,7,10,7,59,2,6,14,18,21,7,3 ,19,27,11,7,9,3,6,7,21,6,5,9,25,7,3,1,8,5,6,9,11,25,29,7,10,19,6,2, 7, 6, 8, 21, 25,12,25,24,7,8,35,36,21,71,6,71,13,21,24,12,5,23,63,1,6,23,11,25,7,26,24,29,34,21,36,44,63,35,25,59,7,43,7,36,2,6,14,11,3,44,6,14,34,8,29,19,6,7,25,1,6,14,5,23,25,11,25,23,44,9,7,1,9,1,7,23,25,34,7,8,9,12,7,8,9,36,23,1,5,7,11,44,7, 8,17,6,3,7,10,1,36,34,25,36,15,29,5,7,23,25,7,21,25,34,36,5,7,9,25,35,36,35,6, 21, 24,1,7,9,23,25,44,59,1,3,6,7,19,21,23,25,33,26,35,36,42,14,25,35,36,3,7,9,23,10, 7,25,7,59,6,7,1,3,4,5,8,9,10,13,12,14,17,19,20,21,24,27,29,34,35,36,6,7,6,14,5,4,1,17,66,7,68,3,7,25,18,7,8,10,7,1,11,16,18,44,63,2,6,7,12,13,14,17,19,21,23,24,34,6,7,8,9,10,21,23,25,36,67,68,70,1,18,1,2,5,6,8,9,10,12,13,14,17,59,7,9,11,23,25,26,7,63,7,24,19,6,7,6,63,18,35, 7,10,9,25,5,25,63,34,23,18,16,44,3, 7, 8, 35,3,7,25,26,59,1,3,6,7,19,21,23,25,33,26,35,36,42,6,7,25,21,7,9,59,9,11,25,63,3,5,11,7,44,35,8,7,29,33,7,13,7, 25,26,59,7,14,6,19,14,5,12,13,17,7,15,34,69,1,7,10,25,23,4,6,19,29,21,3,7,9,10,23,25,26,34,25,26,5,7,9,23,7,63,11,69,2,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,13,17,19,21,23,24,25,35,36,2,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,12,13,17,19,21,23,24,25,35,36,25, 36,7,36,3,1,7,8,9,10,21,23,25,26,34,5,7,14,25,36,7,8,9,10,6,2,4,12,21,24,35,7,6,21,19,6,7) order by a.subject_desc asc
select * from shopping inner join material_master on shopping.material_id = material_master.material_id where shopping.session = '' and shopping.order_status=0 order by material_master.title
select * from shopping inner join material_master on shopping.material_id = material_master.material_id where shopping.session = '' and shopping.order_status=0 order by material_master.title
UPDATE `joomla_session` SET `data` = '__default|a:7:{s:15:\"session.counter\";i:1;s:19:\"session.timer.start\";i:1738728000;s:18:\"session.timer.last\";i:1738728000;s:17:\"session.timer.now\";i:1738728000;s:22:\"session.client.browser\";s:103:\"Mozilla/5.0 AppleWebKit/537.36 (KHTML, like Gecko; compatible; ClaudeBot/1.0; +claudebot@anthropic.com)\";s:8:\"registry\";O:9:\"JRegistry\":1:{s:7:\"\0*\0data\";O:8:\"stdClass\":0:{}}s:4:\"user\";O:5:\"JUser\":25:{s:10:\"\0*\0_errors\";a:0:{}s:9:\"\0*\0isRoot\";N;s:2:\"id\";i:0;s:4:\"name\";N;s:8:\"username\";N;s:5:\"email\";N;s:8:\"password\";N;s:14:\"password_clear\";s:0:\"\";s:8:\"usertype\";N;s:5:\"block\";N;s:9:\"sendEmail\";i:0;s:12:\"registerDate\";N;s:13:\"lastvisitDate\";N;s:10:\"activation\";N;s:6:\"params\";N;s:6:\"groups\";a:0:{}s:5:\"guest\";i:1;s:13:\"lastResetTime\";N;s:10:\"resetCount\";N;s:10:\"\0*\0_params\";O:9:\"JRegistry\":1:{s:7:\"\0*\0data\";O:8:\"stdClass\":0:{}}s:14:\"\0*\0_authGroups\";N;s:14:\"\0*\0_authLevels\";a:2:{i:0;i:1;i:1;i:1;}s:15:\"\0*\0_authActions\";N;s:12:\"\0*\0_errorMsg\";N;s:3:\"aid\";i:0;}}' , `time` = '1738728001' WHERE `session_id` = 'cfm9ecjl7rcdrgnfgqh9gtkq8c'

PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPES_LOGGED

PLG_DEBUG_SELECT_QUERIES

PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES
PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES
PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES
PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES
PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES
PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES
PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES
PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES
PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES
PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES
PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES
PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES
PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES
PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES
PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES
PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES
PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES
PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES
PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES
PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES

PLG_DEBUG_OTHER_QUERIES

PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES
PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPE_AND_OCCURRENCES

The Last Frontier: people and forests in Mizoram

Book Details

Table of Contents

Keywords

You may also like...

Most Helpful Reviews (5 of 12)

Amazing book!

Amazing book!

Tell us what you think.

PLG_DEBUG_TITLE

PLG_DEBUG_SESSION

__default

user

PLG_DEBUG_PROFILE_INFORMATION

PLG_DEBUG_MEMORY_USAGE

PLG_DEBUG_QUERIES

PLG_DEBUG_QUERIES_LOGGED

PLG_DEBUG_QUERY_TYPES_LOGGED

PLG_DEBUG_SELECT_QUERIES

PLG_DEBUG_OTHER_QUERIES