Nature and the Orient: Environmental History of South and Southeast Asia 0195638964, 9780195638967

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Nature and the Orient

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St11djes in Social Ecology and Environmmtai History General Editors: MAoHAV GADGIL and RAMA.CHANDRA GUHA

Other Books in this Series ARNow AND RAMAOiANDRA GuHA (EDS) Nature, Culture, Imperialism: F.ssays on the Environmental History of South Asia (Oxford India Paperbacks)

DAVID

AMITA BAVISKAR

In the Belly of the River. Tribal Conflicts the Narmada Vallq (Oxford India Paperbacks)

~Development

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BARBARA BROW£R

Sheipa of Khumbu: People, Livestoclc and Landscape MADHAV GADGIL AND RAMACHANDRA GUHA

This Fissurtd Land: An Ecological History of India (Oxford India Paperbacks) l.JlllE

Forest ()T Farm?: The Politics of Povmy and Land Hunger in Nepal MAHESH RANGARAJAN

Fen.cing the Fomt: Consm;ation and fulogical Change in India's Central Provinces, 1860-1914 CHETAN SINGH

Natural Pmnist:s: fulogy and Peasant Lift in the Wtstern Himalaya

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Nature and the Orient ·fl

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The Environmental History of South and Southeast Asia

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Richard H. Grove Australian National University

Vinita Damodaran University of Sussex

Satpal Sangwan National Institute for Science, Technology and Development Studies, New Delhi

DELHI

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS CALCUTTA

CHENNAI

MUMBAI

1998

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Oxford UnivusiJy Prus, Great Clarendon Streel, Oxford OX2 6DP Oxford New York A.thens Auckland Bangkok CalcuJta Cape Town Chennal Dar es Salaam Delhi Florence Hong Kong Istanbul Karachi .Kuala Lumpur Madrid Melbourne Mexico City Mwrtbai Nairobi Paris Singapore Taip.t Tokyo Toronto and associates In Berlin Ibadan

C Oxford University Prus 1998 ISBN 0 19 563896 4

Typeset by Rastrixi, New Delhi I I 0070 Prinud in India at Pauls Press, New Delhi J /0020 and published by Manzar Khan, Oxford Untven/ty Prus YMCA Library Building, Jai Singh Road, New Delhi J JO 001

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/V ~ b "II ? rt8 This work is dedicated in loving memory of KK Damodaran who inspired and inspires us still

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-~Acknowledgements

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his book has, appropriately, had a long pre-history. However, the idea actually crystallised in a conference held in February 1992 in New Delhi under the auspices of the National Institute for Science, ·Technology and Development Studies. The whole concept of the conference was developed, facilitated and brought to fruition by Dr Deepak Kumar, without whom the whole project would have been impossible. He has been a deeply committed and constantly generous friend and guide to all the three editors, and the book stands largely as a monument to his tutelage and infectious enthusiasm, and one fitting, we hope, to his standing as the leading historian of science in India. Special thanks are due to our financial backers. In this respect Professor Raymond Allchin and other members of the Ancient India and Iran Trust were particularly helpful in coordinating assistance from a number of foundations. At the Australian National University Professor Graeme Snooks has been an ever-present source of encouragement and tolerance. At the same institution Professor Mark Elvin and Dr John Dargavel have, true to form, been patient and determined supporters of our work. To Professor Barry Supple, Director of the Leverhulme Trust, is due a vote of special thanks. It is a pleasure to recall his role in being a vital supporter of environmental history since 1983; and one of the first senior scholars to recognise its significance from the point of view of economic history. We would also like to acknowledge funding during the last six years from The British Academy; the Economic and Social Research Council; the Australian National University; the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars; The National Humanities Center, North Carolina; St Edmund's College; Clare Hall; Churchill College; and the Grove Family. Many other people also provided practical assistance and gave us academic inspiration; especially Professor John F. Richards, Dr Ashok Jain, Dr David Arnold, Professor Ramachandra Guba, Dr Madhav Gadgil, Dr Nicholas Jardine, Dr Simon

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Schaffer, Mrs Sita Damodaran, Professor William Beinart, Dr Sumit Guba, Dr Ajay Pratap, Dr A. Sinha, Professor Romila Thapar, Professor Peter Herbst, Dr Jacques Pouchcpadass, and Dr Q!icntin Cronk. Leading staff of NISfADS and the Indian Forest . Department have all been enormously helpful to the prOJCCt. Last but certainly not least; the editors arc very happy to take the opportunity to express their warm appreciation of the sterling work of The Oxford University Press editors, which we shall not forget. RICHARD GROVE VINITA DAMODAJV.N

SATPA.L SANGWAN

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Contents '

Figitrrs anti Tables Contrilntton

XIV

.

XIX

Introduction RJCHARD GROVE, VlNTTA DAMODARAN ANO SATPAL SANGWAN

l

Part One CONSTKUCTING NAlVU ANO CHANGING llfE LANDSCAPE 10.000 IC-AD 19111

I

l.

2.

3.

4.

5. 6.

The Pre-colonial Period Early Man and Environment in South Asia

27

10,()()() BC~AD 500

29

BRIDGET Au.cHIN Deforestation in Pr~ and Protohistoric South Asia GEORCE Ewosv Early Ecological Knowledge of India from Alexander and Aristotle to Aelian }. DoNALD HUCHES The Creation and Expansion of Settlements and Management of Hydraulic Resources in Ancient India RANABIR CHAKRAVARTI Humans and Forests in Prc-