The hastivanas/nagavanas (elephant forests described in Kautilya’s Arthashastra) were state-protected habitats that fused ecological foresight with administrative discipline.
Protected Habitat Management
Kautilya directed kings to establish them on the kingdom’s borders, often in mountains, riverine tracts, lakesides or marshlands. A designated superintendent (nagavanadhyaksha) and forest guards protected them, monitored their boundaries and prevented unauthorised killing or capture in them. He instructed officials to record every elephant and to punish anyone who burned a hastivana with death by fire.
Sustainability by Design
Because elephants had high military and ceremonial value, preserving their habitats became a state priority. Rulers mapped the hastivanas across the subcontinent based on the quality of elephants they produced. Forests in Kalinga, Karusha, Dasharna and the East produced the finest combat elephants. Forests in Anga, Malwa and the West produced elephants of lesser strength.
Scholars argue that this preservation and restoration model created de facto sanctuaries: large forest tracts remained intact, benefiting elephants alongside other flora and fauna.
Ashokan Ethical Extension
Emperor Ashoka’s Pillar Edict V prohibits burning the hastivanas and protects animals in them.
Modern Relevance
By combining statecraft with conservation ethics, they anticipated today’s elephant corridors.