HISTORICAL DEVELOPMENT OF WILDLIFE PROTECTION IN INDIA

Wildlife management is very old in India. Vedas contain hymns in praise of animals. Sanatan Dharma have linked some animals with specific God or Goddess as the best way of conservation of wildlife for Example python has been associated with God Vishnu, snake with God Shiva, swan with Goddess Saraswati, lion with Goddess Durga rendering the animals pious and protected. People in ancient India had recognised the animal's rights to co-exist with the man and therefore they were loved, nurtured and even worshiped. Almost every God and Goddess in our Pantheon is associated with some animals and the animal is venerated almost as a deity itself. Our folklore, art and craft reflect our love and reverence for the animal world. India has a strong tradition of conserving plants and animals. Many kings and rulers also took measures to protect the wildlife. . Indian mythology is full of references and instances of our regard and love for wild animals. Since time immemorial wildlife has been conserved and it has enjoyed privileged position of protection through religious ideals and sentiments. The prevalence of wildlife protection movement has been fairly strong in all the developed societies. Wildlife management is very old in India. Vedas contain hymns in praise of animals. Sanatan Dharma has linked some animals with specific God or Goddess as the best way of conservation of wildlife. The environmental protection has been an important fact of Hindu way of life. This ancient tradition has been followed in civilisations of Mohanjo-Daro, Harrappa and Channudare and perished in India in between 2000 and 5000 B.C. Mauryans came to establish their rule in India around third century B.C. During Mugal period, a significant contribution from the point of view of environment conservation has been the establishment of magnificent gardens, fruit orchards and green parks, round about the emperor's palace, central and provincial headquarters etc. The Mugal period witnessed a steady decline in wildlife population due to lack of legal control on hunting. Despite this, there was an abundance of wildlife in India before the commencement of British rule in the country.