Elephants

Elephas maximus, a large terrestrial mammal, lives in the wild in parts of India (Bengal, Orissa, Kerala), in Sri Lanka, in Southeast Asia (Birmania, Laos, Malaysia), and in the Malay Archipelago (Aceh, Borneo). The Asian elephant´s natural friendliness and learning ability distinguish it from the African elephant (Loxodonta africana); the animals native to Sri Lanka are especially valued. During the Modern Age, the elephant was counted among the most precious of items in the trade of "rare goods." Among the roles of the elephant in Asian societies, its presence in political and religious ceremonies stands out. In kingdoms that were Hindu or where a strong Hindu tradition predominated, the elephant symbolized the sacred aspect of royal power. As was the case in the past, the elephant continues to be present, with great ostentation, in the ritual and triumphal processions of the Feast of Perahera in Kandy (Sri Lanka). It was also valued for its bellicose talents, being utilized by the hundreds in the sultanates of North India and in the Kindom of Siam, and in smaller numbers in the majority of the regions mentioned above. On numerous occasions, the Portuguese faced them during sieges and in the battlefield. The vast majority of domesticated elephants was employed in heavy labor, namely construction, as well as in the harbor inlets, where they assisted in moving ships and transporting merchandise. Although the Portuguese never utilized elephants for war purposes, they did employ them as beasts of burden in Goa, Cochin, Colombo, and other areas. In some situations, they were also used in the execution of prisoners condemned to death. In African countries, elephant tusks normally were larger, and numerous animals were hunted for the sole purpose of obtaining ivory. In Asian countries, on the contrary, large tusks were rare and this practice was less common.

Raising elephants has always been difficult. Strategies for capturing these animals ranged from simple traps to the enormous enclosures documented in Sri Lanka, where up to one hundred animals could be held captive at once. In Sri Lanka, specialized castes caught, domesticated, and handled elephants. The documentation indicates that animals of both genders and of all ages were captured, with the largest and the tusk-bearing specimens being most valuable. From the forests of Sri Lanka, from Kerala, and from Bengal, the elephants were brought to and sold in consumer markets, predominantly in the Sultanates of India. The exportation of elephants to Europe, where they were no more than objects of wonder (mirabilia), was negligible, being limited to less than one animal per year. The prices were highly variable, according to the size and the characteristics of each animal, ranging on average between five hundred (500) and two thousand (2,000) cruzados in the major Indian ports. This implied a profit of around one hundred (100) to three hundred (300) percent, relative to the price structure of the Sri Lankan ports, with the maritime transportation of the elephants being an onerous and risky endeavor. Various Royal monopolies were established around the capture, trade, and ownership of elephants; first by the Portuguese crown, in the Sri Lankan case and, later by the Dutch East India Company (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie- VOC).

The decline of the elephant trade began in the Eighteenth Century, with the fall of the great consumer markets in North India, and gained impetus in the Nineteenth Century. To this day, the importation of various elephants from Asia, an initiative of King Manuel III and some of his successors, continues to be remembered in many European countries, such as Portugal, France, England, Italy, Germany, and Austria.

Bibliography:
LACH, Donald F., 'The Iconography of Asian Animals: Elephants', in Asia in the making of Europe, vol. II, parte 1, Chicago & Londres, 1970. SILVA, Chandra Richard de, "Peddling Trade, Elephants and Gems: Some Aspects of Sri Lanka's Trading Connections in the Indian Ocean in the 16th and Early 17th Centuries", in Asian Panorama: Essays in Asian History, Past and Present, ed. por K. M. de Silva, S. Kiribamune & C. R. de Silva, Nova Deli, 1990, pp. 287-302.

Translated by: Maria João Pimentel