Ecology and Wildlife Conservation in the Colonial Period: Special Case of Princely Rajputana

Rakesh

doi:doi:10.11648/j.history.20231101.15

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Ecology and Wildlife Conservation in the Colonial Period: Special Case of Princely Rajputana

Rakesh

Published in History Research (Volume 11, Issue 1)

Received: 15 April 2023 Accepted: 7 June 2023 Published: 20 June 2023

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Abstract

Princely Rajputana has been famous for hunting since the Middle Ages. These areas are frequented by rulers who go hunting. The rulers played a crucial role in southern Rajputana in the seventeenth century; they fought numerous battles to seize Mewar because of its significance on all three fronts (political, economic, and ecological). The natural riches and excellent games were plentiful in this area. A variety of deer, wild boar, lions, tigers, leopards, and other animals might be found in Mewar. In addition to highlighting the local biodiversity, this article documents overfishing throughout Rajputana. The Rajputana region was the monarchs' preferred hunting ground, and although they engaged in excessive hunting there, there were no reports of any wildlife populations declining. However, the number of wild animals severely declined throughout the colonial era. Wild animals vanished from many Rajputana locations quickly due to the lack of conservation methods used by the princes and colonial officials. Killing wild animals was a common pastime in India during the colonial era. They viewed wildlife as a game rather than a living being. Princes and Maharajas supported the significance of this game, albeit hunting still needed to be done for profit, and they welcomed visitors from Europe to use the local flora. Local authorities and colonial officials expelled the native population from the game. The people, who relied solely on the forest’s resources, had severe problems with food and other resources. Numerous individuals perished from starvation during the famine. When wild animals started to disappear, a few local leaders began to protect wildlife, but it never quite reached the previous level.

Published in	History Research (Volume 11, Issue 1)
DOI	10.11648/j.history.20231101.15
Page(s)	31-37
Creative Commons	This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright	Copyright © The Author(s), 2023. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Rajputana, Aravalli, Maharaja, Zamindars, Chhappania

References

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[2]	Anand S. Pandian, ‘Predatory Care: The Imperial Hunt in Mughal and British India,’ Journal of Historical Sociology, Vol. 14, no. 1 (March 2001).
[3]	Arnold, David and Ramachandra Guha. (1996) Nature, Culture, Imperialism: Essays on the Environmental History of South Asia. New Delhi: India, Oxford University Press.
[4]	Chimalgi, Kavya. A HISTORY OF HUNTING IN THE INDIAN SUBCONTINENT. Formal Report. Mumbai: Last Wilderness Media Pvt Limited, 2010 Aprl.
[5]	Daniel J. C, (2009), Natural History and the Indian Army, Delhi, Oxford University Press.
[6]	Dewan, Deepali and S. Hutton Deborah. Raja Deen Dayal: Artist- Photographer 19th- Century India. New Delhi: Alkazi Collection of Photography, 2013.
[7]	George Parbury, (1842), Handbook for Indian and Egypt: Comprising the Narrative of a journey from Calcutta to England, Calcutta, Wm. Allen & Co.
[8]	Hughes Julie Elaine, (2009) Animal Kingdom: Princely Power, The Environment, and the Hunt in Colonial India, unpublished thesis, USA.
[9]	Jahangir, Emperor of Hindustan and Wheeler McIntosh Thackston. (1999) The Jahangirnama: Memoirs of Jahangir, Emperor of India. Washington, D. C., United States: Freer Gallery of Art, Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.
[10]	K. D. Erskine, A Gazetteer of the Udaipur State, with a chapter on the Bhils and Some Statistical Tables, (Ajmer: Scottish Mission Industries, Co., Ltd., 1908.
[11]	Louis Rousselet, (2005), India and Its Native Princes: Travels in Central India and In the Presidency of Bombay and Bengal, Delhi, Asian Educational Service.
[12]	Mandala Vijaya Ramdas, (2019) Shooting a Tiger: Big-Game Hunting and Conservation in Colonial India, Delhi, Oxford University Press.
[13]	Mandala Vijaya Ramdas, The Raj and the Paradoxes of Wildlife Conservation: British Attitude and Expedience. The Historical Journal, Vol. 58, no. 1 (March 2015).
[14]	Nicholas B Drick, (1993), The Hollow Crown: Ethno History of the Indian Kingdom, The University of Michigan Press, USA.
[15]	Rangarajan Mahesh, The Hunt and Wilderness in Mughal India, in Meena Bhargava (2017), Frontiers of Environmental Issues in Medieval and Early Modern India, Delhi, Oriental Black Swan.
[16]	Rangarajan Mahesh, (fifth publication 2005), India’s Wildlife History, Delhi, Permanent Black.
[17]	Rangarajan, Mahesh. (1996) Fencing the forest: conservation and ecological change in India's Central Provinces, 1860-1914. New Delhi: India, Oxford University Press.
[18]	Ranjit Singh M. K., (2017), A Life with Wildlife: From Princely India to the Present, Delhi, Harper Collins Publication.
[19]	Rosalind O’Hanlon, ‘Issues of Masculinity in North Indian History: The Bangash Nawabs of Farrukhabad,’ Indian Journal of Gender Studies, vol. 4, no. 1 (1997).
[20]	Shetty, B. V. & Singh, V. (Edits.). “Flora of Rajasthan. “Vol. I. BSI, Howrah, 1987.
[21]	Sramek Joseph, Face Him Like a Briton: Tiger Hunting, Imperialism, and British Masculinity in Colonial India, 1800-1875, Victorian Studies, Summer, 2006, Vol. 48, No. 4.
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Rakesh. (2023). Ecology and Wildlife Conservation in the Colonial Period: Special Case of Princely Rajputana. History Research, 11(1), 31-37. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.history.20231101.15

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ACS Style

Rakesh. Ecology and Wildlife Conservation in the Colonial Period: Special Case of Princely Rajputana. Hist. Res. 2023, 11(1), 31-37. doi: 10.11648/j.history.20231101.15

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AMA Style

Rakesh. Ecology and Wildlife Conservation in the Colonial Period: Special Case of Princely Rajputana. Hist Res. 2023;11(1):31-37. doi: 10.11648/j.history.20231101.15

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@article{10.11648/j.history.20231101.15,
  author = {Rakesh},
  title = {Ecology and Wildlife Conservation in the Colonial Period: Special Case of Princely Rajputana},
  journal = {History Research},
  volume = {11},
  number = {1},
  pages = {31-37},
  doi = {10.11648/j.history.20231101.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.history.20231101.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.history.20231101.15},
  abstract = {Princely Rajputana has been famous for hunting since the Middle Ages. These areas are frequented by rulers who go hunting. The rulers played a crucial role in southern Rajputana in the seventeenth century; they fought numerous battles to seize Mewar because of its significance on all three fronts (political, economic, and ecological). The natural riches and excellent games were plentiful in this area. A variety of deer, wild boar, lions, tigers, leopards, and other animals might be found in Mewar. In addition to highlighting the local biodiversity, this article documents overfishing throughout Rajputana. The Rajputana region was the monarchs' preferred hunting ground, and although they engaged in excessive hunting there, there were no reports of any wildlife populations declining. However, the number of wild animals severely declined throughout the colonial era. Wild animals vanished from many Rajputana locations quickly due to the lack of conservation methods used by the princes and colonial officials. Killing wild animals was a common pastime in India during the colonial era. They viewed wildlife as a game rather than a living being. Princes and Maharajas supported the significance of this game, albeit hunting still needed to be done for profit, and they welcomed visitors from Europe to use the local flora. Local authorities and colonial officials expelled the native population from the game. The people, who relied solely on the forest’s resources, had severe problems with food and other resources. Numerous individuals perished from starvation during the famine. When wild animals started to disappear, a few local leaders began to protect wildlife, but it never quite reached the previous level.},
 year = {2023}
}

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TY - JOUR
T1 - Ecology and Wildlife Conservation in the Colonial Period: Special Case of Princely Rajputana
AU - Rakesh
Y1 - 2023/06/20
PY - 2023
N1 - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.history.20231101.15
DO - 10.11648/j.history.20231101.15
T2 - History Research
JF - History Research
JO - History Research
SP - 31
EP - 37
PB - Science Publishing Group
SN - 2376-6719
UR - https://doi.org/10.11648/j.history.20231101.15
AB - Princely Rajputana has been famous for hunting since the Middle Ages. These areas are frequented by rulers who go hunting. The rulers played a crucial role in southern Rajputana in the seventeenth century; they fought numerous battles to seize Mewar because of its significance on all three fronts (political, economic, and ecological). The natural riches and excellent games were plentiful in this area. A variety of deer, wild boar, lions, tigers, leopards, and other animals might be found in Mewar. In addition to highlighting the local biodiversity, this article documents overfishing throughout Rajputana. The Rajputana region was the monarchs' preferred hunting ground, and although they engaged in excessive hunting there, there were no reports of any wildlife populations declining. However, the number of wild animals severely declined throughout the colonial era. Wild animals vanished from many Rajputana locations quickly due to the lack of conservation methods used by the princes and colonial officials. Killing wild animals was a common pastime in India during the colonial era. They viewed wildlife as a game rather than a living being. Princes and Maharajas supported the significance of this game, albeit hunting still needed to be done for profit, and they welcomed visitors from Europe to use the local flora. Local authorities and colonial officials expelled the native population from the game. The people, who relied solely on the forest’s resources, had severe problems with food and other resources. Numerous individuals perished from starvation during the famine. When wild animals started to disappear, a few local leaders began to protect wildlife, but it never quite reached the previous level.
VL - 11
IS - 1
ER -

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Author Information

Rakesh

Satyawatie College (Eve), Department of History, University of Delhi, Delhi, India

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APA Style

Rakesh. (2023). Ecology and Wildlife Conservation in the Colonial Period: Special Case of Princely Rajputana. History Research, 11(1), 31-37. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.history.20231101.15

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ACS Style

Rakesh. Ecology and Wildlife Conservation in the Colonial Period: Special Case of Princely Rajputana. Hist. Res. 2023, 11(1), 31-37. doi: 10.11648/j.history.20231101.15

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AMA Style

Rakesh. Ecology and Wildlife Conservation in the Colonial Period: Special Case of Princely Rajputana. Hist Res. 2023;11(1):31-37. doi: 10.11648/j.history.20231101.15

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@article{10.11648/j.history.20231101.15,
  author = {Rakesh},
  title = {Ecology and Wildlife Conservation in the Colonial Period: Special Case of Princely Rajputana},
  journal = {History Research},
  volume = {11},
  number = {1},
  pages = {31-37},
  doi = {10.11648/j.history.20231101.15},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.history.20231101.15},
  eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.history.20231101.15},
  abstract = {Princely Rajputana has been famous for hunting since the Middle Ages. These areas are frequented by rulers who go hunting. The rulers played a crucial role in southern Rajputana in the seventeenth century; they fought numerous battles to seize Mewar because of its significance on all three fronts (political, economic, and ecological). The natural riches and excellent games were plentiful in this area. A variety of deer, wild boar, lions, tigers, leopards, and other animals might be found in Mewar. In addition to highlighting the local biodiversity, this article documents overfishing throughout Rajputana. The Rajputana region was the monarchs' preferred hunting ground, and although they engaged in excessive hunting there, there were no reports of any wildlife populations declining. However, the number of wild animals severely declined throughout the colonial era. Wild animals vanished from many Rajputana locations quickly due to the lack of conservation methods used by the princes and colonial officials. Killing wild animals was a common pastime in India during the colonial era. They viewed wildlife as a game rather than a living being. Princes and Maharajas supported the significance of this game, albeit hunting still needed to be done for profit, and they welcomed visitors from Europe to use the local flora. Local authorities and colonial officials expelled the native population from the game. The people, who relied solely on the forest’s resources, had severe problems with food and other resources. Numerous individuals perished from starvation during the famine. When wild animals started to disappear, a few local leaders began to protect wildlife, but it never quite reached the previous level.},
 year = {2023}
}

Copy | Download