Environmental History And Historiography Of Forests In Assam

Abstract

The forests of Assam are not just expanses of greenery; they embody centuries of human interaction with nature, marked by shifting meanings, conflicts, and coexistence. Environmental history allows us to trace how forests have shaped, and been shaped by, communities, states, and global forces. From the traditional practices of indigenous tribes who viewed forests as sacred to the colonial state’s extraction-driven forestry policies and the postcolonial struggles over conservation and development, Assam’s forests have witnessed layered histories of use, exploitation, and resistance. Historiography further reveals how narratives of forests have often been written from the perspective of powerful colonial administrators, state planners, and conservationists—while voices of forest-dependent communities remained marginalized. By weaving together ecology, economy, and culture, a humanized reading of Assam’s environmental history highlights forests as living entities central to identity, survival, and politics.