In 1882, 28000 sleepers were exported from Java alone. However, all this required labour to cut the trees, transport the logs and prepare the sleepers. The Dutch first imposed rents on land being cultivated in the forest and then exempted some villages from these rents if they worked collectively to provide free labour and buffaloes for cutting and transporting timber. This was known as the Blandongdiensten System.
Read the above passage and answer the following questions
(a) What are the three main feature of ’ Blandongdiensten System?
(b) What lesson/values do you learn from this cruel system?
(a) Blandongdinensten System was introduced by the Dutch in Indonesia.
The main features of this system are
(i) Imposing of rents on the lands which were cultivated in the forests.
(ii) Exemption to some villages under certain conditions.
(iii) Collective work by the villagers to provide free labour and buffaloes for cutting and transporting timber.
(b) From this cruel system, I learnt that the colonial rule drained wealth and destroyed the economy. This shows that the rule was based on exploitation.