Colonizing the Wild Elephant of Cachar (1850-1950)

Abstract

Elephants have always played a significant role in Cachar's history. Elephant hunting was a monopoly of the British government in India during colonial rule as of its strategic importance. Elephants were given special attention by colonial officials because of their ability to navigate forests, their Tusks, and their role in hunting. The elephant capturing and management procedure was under British authority because it was one of the most important sources of revenue for the British government. Due to the poor transit system, the colonial rulers kept number of elephants on hand to perform various tasks. The purpose of this paper is to study how elephants were colonized in Cachar. Elephants provide both access and revenue to the government. The capture of elephants (Kheddah), access, and elephant revenue are all explored in this paper. The function of elephants in the Cachar's economic existence is also investigated and analyzed in this study. The research looks on the use of elephants to carry government officials during military operations in Cachar, as well as their role in forest management.