The Vanishing Art of Capturing and Taming Wild Elephants among the Khamti Tribe of Arunachal Pradesh: An Overview Through Oral Tradition.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56405/dngcrj.2025.10.01.10Keywords:
Human civilization, animals, art of capturing and taming, khamti tribe, elephantAbstract
Human–animal relationships have profoundly shaped the evolution of civilizations, influencing economic activities, religion, warfare, transportation, and social life. These contributions were possible only because humans mastered the art of capturing and taming wild animals. However, modern generations often overlook this legacy as machines replace many traditional animal roles. Without understanding the historical importance of animals, we risk undervaluing the foundations laid by our ancestors. In this context, the present study adopts an exploratory and descriptive approach to examine the traditional techniques of capturing and taming elephants practiced by the Khamti tribe of Arunachal Pradesh.
Key words: Human civilization, animals, art of capturing and taming, khamti tribe, elephant.
Downloads
References
Dutta Choudhury, S. (Ed.). (1978). Gazetteer of India: Arunachal Pradesh-Lohit District. Director of Information and Public Relations, Government of Arunachal Pradesh, Itanagar.
Gogoi, L. (1971). The Tai Khamtis of North East India. Omsons Publications, New Delhi.
Laine, N. (2012). Effects of the 1996 timber ban in Northeast India: The case of the Khamtis of Lohit District, Arunachal Pradesh. In N. Laine & T. B. Subba (Eds.), Nature, environment and society: Conservation, governance and transformation in India (pp. 73–90). Orient BlackSwan, Delhi.
Laine, N. (2020). Phi Muangs. Asian Ethnology, 79 (2), 239–258.
Nossov, K., & Dennis, P. (2008). War elephant. Osprey Publishing London.
Namchoom, N. N. (2016). Vanishing tuskers of Arunachal Pradesh. Sasana Hom Tai Aspiring As One Tai; Mithali Publishers, 51-54.
Schlien, M. (1990). Jane Goodall’s animal world: Elephant. Byron Preiss Visual Publications, New York.
Tai Khamti Singpho Council. (2020). Unsung Heroes. In P. C. Swain (Ed.), Fifty years of Arunachal Pradesh: The glorious journey of Lohit (pp. 15–19). Lohit Basin Golden Jubilee Celebration Committee, Tezu.
Tani, R. (2019). Resistance Movement in Eastern Arunachal Pradesh: A Study of the Khamti tribe from 1826-1843. Dera Natung Government College Research Journal, 4 (1), 22-32. https://doi.org/10.56405/dngcrj.2019.04.01.04
Tani, R. (2025). Subu: The endangered link of our ancestral wealth and living tradition. In Intradisciplinary explorations of the Apatani tribe (pp. 89–105). HSRA Publications, Bangalore.
Wylie, D. (2008). Elephant. Reaktion Books, London.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Rubu Tani
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
- Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
- Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (e.g., in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.
