ABSTRACT
The relationship between humans and elephants has deeply shaped the cultures, environments, and histories of Northeast India. This entry provides an up-to-date overview of the emerging field of human–elephant studies, especially, the pioneering research by anthropologists, geographers, and historians who have studied variations of this world-shaping, interspecies interconnection in the region. The entry’s synopsis extends to a proposal for four future directions that human–elephant research might take in Northeast India, including: a revaluation of the connection between elephants, ruling classes, and indigenous people; a systematic, ethnographic study of cultures of mahoutship; a re-appreciation of the socio- and geo-political position of the region through this interspecies relationship; and the need to diversify one’s understanding of how humans and wild elephants co-exist.
