Elephant, empire and ecology in ancient India: Reflections on modern-day conservation

"The elephant rose from the status of a supreme animal, Gajatame, in early Buddhist India to that of a supreme god, Ganesha, in Hindu India by about the 4th or 5th century. In spite of a rather turbulent relationship with people through history, the elephant has also been widely revered across the cultures of south and southeast Asia. This talk traces the unique elephant-human relationship from the ancient Harappan civilization when it is believed to have been first tamed, through the use of elephants in the armies of major kingdoms and empires, to its rise to supreme godhead in the medieval Hindu period. It also discusses the role of the elephant in the rise, sustenance and eventual decline of the Mughal and the British empires. It concludes by providing sociopolitical and ecological interpretations as to why the largest land mammal was accorded sacred status in Asia, though not in Africa."

About the speaker : Raman Sukumar is a leading ecologist who has made significant contributions towards Asian elephant ecology and conservation. He is Professor and Chair at the Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. He represents Indian wildlife scientists in a number of national and regional governmental committees. He is a member of the National Tiger Conservation Authority of the Indian government, and the Karnataka State Wildlife Board. He has also served on the Indian Board for Wildlife (chaired by the Prime Minister of India), and the Project Elephant Steering Committee. He is the author of three books on elephants, and over 75 scientific papers and articles in various fields of ecology.