Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra, a treatise on state-craft, presents a vivid and lively description of different categories of forests and the values associated with it. It has been just over a century, when it was rediscovered, printed and published in Sanskrit, English and Hindi by various scholars over the years. Several translations in English and Hindi are also available on the internet archive, including the first one by Dr. R. Shamasastry. There are specific chapters and sections dealing with forests, wildlife, production forests, forest produce, Director of Forest, foresters, forest guards. As one dives deeper one comes across detailed discussions on various divisions of land as per Land Use Classification, categories of forests viz.: Sacred groves for hermits, Urban biological parks for King's recreation, Sanctuaries for protection of wild animals, Elephant forests to provide habitats for elephants, Production forests for management of various kinds of forest produce ranging from trees, bamboos, climbers, fibres, leaves, herbal plants, poisons to Trophies (wildlife) and metals. Forest dwellers are assigned with the duties of protection of forests. Legal provisions existed for preventing damage to forests and wildlife with penal measures for various forest crimes extending to death penalty for killing an elephant.
Thus, It would only be correct to say that while modern forestry practices may bear imprints of the British rule, but the systematic classification of forests and forest produce had already existed in India, though documentation and continuity of Arthaśāstra were lost due to historical events of medieval and modern times. The colonial linkage of forest management, more often than not leads us to uncomfortable debates due to burden of a foreign legacy.
If only we had cared to look deeper into our roots and had the Sutrás or their translations in our Sanskrit text books at school level or English translation as a part of the curriculum our perception of the scientific forestry would have been quite different. We do not intend to debate how it would have altered the present scenario of forest administration but it certainly must have had profound impact on the forest policies that we have given to ourselves from time to time. It is not about the chest-beating for our lost glorious past but only an attempt is being made to rediscover the framework of forest administration and laws prevalent in our society since time immemorial. Its principles of classification, conservation, regulated use, administrative oversight, and community involvement continue to inform and inspire modern forest policy and environmental governance.