History of Environmental Conservation (Ancient and Medieval Periods)

Discussions and discourses on Sustainable Development (development without depleting the natural resources) in the 21st Century has become a routine activity. It is true that the present world is threatened by the scarcity of natural resources, along with the drastic climate change that affects the life on earth. The changes in climate because of greenhouse effect, natural and manmade disasters resulted in global warming and other phenomena ultimately challenging the existence of human and their harmonious relationship with nature. Often through our discussions, we pretend to show our concern to the environment and its resources. The government makes policies on a regular basis to save our environment, however the outcome of such policies are not appealing as most of them find peace in paper and not in action. This paper tries to read the cause of the broken link between modern man and nature, through the understanding of the relationship man shared with the nature in the past. Concern towards the environment and understanding the importance of environment, and its resources for the existence humankind are not new phenomena, though we recognise the Stockholm conference held in 1972 as the torch bearer of environmental protection activities. With reference to India, evidence of this awareness towards the environment can be traced from the pre-Vedic period. In this study, an effort is made to read the environmental awareness that was prevalent in Ancient and Medieval India through historical evidences, and how it is lost among Modern Indians.