Animals in Ancient India

In Ancient India animals were very important to the Indian people. Indian people looked at animals as equal to humans and at times even more important.  Animals where loved and some were even worshipped. To show how important animals were to the Indian they were given ranks of higher power such as Gods and Goddesses. The most important animal to the Indian people were cows. In India cows where not eaten and therefore were not an endangered animal. In India there were also many wild animals. Some of these animals include tigers, monkeys, snakes, etc. Animals where sometimes caught in the wild to work. For example elephants were sometimes caught in the wild to help build houses, carry heavy loads, and fight in war. Another way that animals where important was that they were put in many festivals and activities. Overall animals had great importance in India and where not endangered because they were seen as a higher power.

In todays society and in some cultures animals are still worshiped, however, there are many places around the world that slaughter animals for food and goods. Indians believed that animals were higher and seen as gods, today there are slaughter houses around the world that kill thousands of cows and animals at a time. Although in India they may still be worshiped, there are still places that kill animals by the masses. It was surprising to learn that cows were seen at a higher rank then humans. I was surprised because today in our society, cows are not as respected and are eaten throughout the world. Through the Indians belief we could look at the world differently by respecting animals more and treating them with respect. This could help combat injustice by treating animals more humanely and by changing the way we treat animals. This is interesting to know because it shows us that animals are more than just food and teaches us about the way different cultures view animals. It teaches us to treat animals with more respect.

Works Cited:

Jayarama, V. Treatment of Animals in Hinduism. Hindu Website. Web.