In the present day, the concerns of wildlife can’t be discussed in isolation but in relation to human forces pushing them towards extinction. Nevertheless, Trautmann rummages through pages of Indian history and posits that protection of elephants was ensured positively by the Kings of those times. Elephants were primarily used for travelling or waging wars against enemies among many other tasks. In India and South east Asia the number of elephants possessed by a King was the measure of his wealth and valour. Therefore, Kings were known to capture, train and even pass on elephants as gifts. Various evidences establish that prior to rise of kinship there was no capture and management of elephants. The relation of Kings to elephants that is observed by Trautmann is a four-cornered relation of kings, elephants, forests and forest people. The Kings needed elephants, forests to raise elephants and forest people to capture and manage elephants. In this way, both forests and elephants received utmost protection under Indian kingship. Such interest of Kings in elephants not only contributed to their conservation but also expanded the horizons of veterinary knowledge for maintaining their health and fitness. Gradually with the decline of kingship and reduced direct usage of elephants, the human-elephant relations tremendously altered. Hence, using direct and indirect sources this paper intends to trace the ‘four-cornered relationship’ in Odisha state where the best elephants were said to be found in India and Kings were titled Gajapati (Lord of elephants) for they maintained hundreds of elephants. It further attempts to take cue from history to better the present day human-elephant relations of India in general and Odisha in particular.
