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Romila Thapar
Romila Thapar is an Indian historian whose principal area of study is ancient India. The essay Forests and Settlements by Romila Thapar is an extract from the book Environmental Issues in India: A Reader by Mahesh Rangrajan. In this article, Thapar highlights the relationship between - the Varna to Ksetra the relationship of the forest to the settlement. A harmonious relationship between human beings and nature was particularly important in the traditional culture of the Indians. Indias attitude towards forests has been changing in the course of history. The ancient Indians celebrated trees in culture and literature. Seals from Indus valley civilization depict a variety of animals. But as time passed by, mans inclination towards nature has underwent a significant change. The decline of the Indus cities was substantially due to their inability to check the degradation of their environment. In a culture of high literacy and technological advancement the importance given to nature and forests is declining at an alarming rate. The ancient tinnai concept of the Tamil Sangam texts details the importance of eco-zones which is classified into 5 divisions: The littoral The wetlands The pastoral tracts The dry zone The hilly backwoods She opined that there is a dichotomy between the grama and aranya which evolved in early times when the village constituted the settlement which was used to highlight social perceptions. Grama Orderly and known Location came to be called as civilization It is the place where Vedic rituals can be performed
It is basic to agriculture, urban living, exchange, govt., the arts, and the culture of elite groups Aranya Forest disorderly, unknown, unpredictable Inhabited by predators and strange creatures Forest dwellers being described as wild and strange These differences are highlighted in the epics like Mahabharata and Ramayana. The incidents narrated in the Mahabharata talks about the destruction of the forest and forest life. Tree-worship, in India, had been common since the earliest time. It was a regular feature in both Hinduism and Buddhism. The peepal, neem and sacred groves hold cultural and religious significance. The worship of trees as a part of a fertility cult has remained a constant feature of the religion of pastoralists, peasants, and urbanites. Ritual vessels used in the Vedic sacrifices had specific junctions and were only to be made of specific kinds of wood, which suggests a symbolism regarding trees and wood which was far more complex than in any other societies. Pastoral groups consist of people who live in the settled society but graze their animals in the forest. They were familiar only with the edge of the forest. However, it shows that forests were seen as altogether agreeable, friendly and welcoming. The cycles of Krishna legends are perfect examples of the importance of pastoral groups to Indian culture. In the ancient Indian treatise Arthashastra, author Kautilya forbids the unlawful felling of trees. Hunting certain species of wild animals was banned, forest and wildlife reserves were established and cruelty to domestic and wild animals was prohibited in the kingdom of Emperor Ashoka. The closeness of man to the forest through ascetism is also demonstrated in the idyllic picture which is often constructed of life in an ashrama in a forest which contributed to the growth of settlements in forests. Forest dwellers were brought under control, their forest resources timber, mines, gem stones appropriated, and they were then converted into the lower castes of the area and established on the edges of towns or in separate settlements in the forest.
The expansion of trade and the opening up of new areas to commercial exchange also resulted in routes cutting through forests and the conversion of some forests settlements into markets. The forest people play a central role in the origin of myths of many dynasties in every part of the subcontinent. Forests during the colonial rule: It became an area to be exploited for their wealthy resources like timber. The Indians or the natives were dismissed as backward and primitive. Hunting became a sport open to all and the target was the biggest and the best of the species. The building of the railway lines was also one of the most destructive acts of the colonial period that led to the clearing of forests. Routes had to be cut through all types of terrain and if there were forests on the way they were slaughtered. Railways brought communities closer but they were responsible for the changes in environmental conditions. The author also talks about the difference between Prakriti and Sanskriti. Sanskriti It means acting according to culture. Prakriti It means acting according to nature or instincts. Man is destroying the environment and we need to know how and what to do to curb it. Forests are being destroyed at an ominous pace. We have to take adequate measures to make our forests survive. Romila Thapar opines that technological innovations should not be brushed aside. However, on the other hand, technology should encourage the interaction of man, nature and culture. All scientific and technical innovations should ensure minimum devastation. We should develop a holistic understanding of nature and culture.