This paper explores the interaction between state and society in the management of the elephant as a strategic natural resource in late 19th century north-east India. The management of strategic natural resources aided the British in the task of empire-building. Protective legislation laid down the broad parameters within which a regime of control could function efficiently and effectively. Yet control over various strategic natural resources was far from being â??directâ?? in the complete sense of the word; rather it was contested, often in subtle ways, and negotiated at different levels. Micro-level history of the kind this paper has sought to depict serves to highlight the intricate character of natural resource control by the colonial state.
