Describe the life of forest dwellers in the Mughal era.

The life of forest dwellers in the Mughal era:

(i)Forest dwellers were termed jangli in contemporary texts. Being jangli , however did not mean an absence of civilization . The term described those whose livelihood came from gathering forest produce , hunting and shifting agriculture.

(ii)These activities were largely season specific that perpetuated mobility which was a distinctive feature of tribes inhabiting these forests.

(iii)For the state, the forest was a  subversive place-a place of refuge for troublemakers.

(iv)External forces entered the forest in different ways . The state required elephants for the army so the peshkash levied from forest people often included a supply of elephants.

(v)The hunt symbolized the overwhelming concern of the state to ensure justice to all its subjects, rich and poor. The hunt was a subject frequently painted by courts artists.

(vi)The spread of commercial agriculture was an important external factor that impinged on the life of those who lived in forests.

(vii)Forest products-like honey , beeswax and gum lac- were in great demand and became major items of overseas export from India.

(viii)Elephants were captured and sold. Trade involved exchange through barter system as well. Some tribes, like the Lohanis in Punjab were involved in overland trade between India and Afghanishtan, and in the town-country trade in Punjab itself.