How did people use the forests before the rule of the British? Why was there less danger of the forests being fully destroyed in those days?

Forests were a very important part of the Adivasis and villagers who lived in and near the forest area of Andhra Pradesh. The forest area was used in the following way:
1. Forest was used for hunting, gathering tubers, fruit, herbs, flower, and for grazing their cattle.
2. Some forest area were cut down, the trees were burnt and the land was cleared for cultivation of crops.
3. The villagers and Adivasis cut the wood to build their home and other related things.
4. They also took certain things for personal use. For example, they took wood or any other forest produce to buy other things from the market such as salt and iron. But they never took any such things from the forest to earn some profit.
5. They also protected the forest. Even when they cut the trees, they made sure that only the old ones are cut and allowed the new ones to grow. They did not cut large tracts of forests but only small parts to save the forest.
6. They also gifted ivory, animal skin and honey to the kings and emperors.
7. Many Adivasis also practiced shifting cultivation or jhum agriculture.
Although a large portion of the forest was cleared for making the field, and there was tension between farmers and tribals, a large part of the land remained under the forest cover. There were no laws to control the use of the forest by any king, as long as the people living in the forest did not harm the kingdom's security. For many centuries, the Adivasis lived in the forest peacefully. Hence, there was a lesser danger of forests being destroyed fully.