Why Do They Hunt?

On my trip to London, I happened to visit the Victoria and Albert Museum, one of the many such art museums there. We had some free time in between my official meetings and was accompanied by my colleague. We were casually going through the rich collection of paintings displayed there.

One amongst them that caught my attention for several reasons, both positive and negative was a painting by the artist from the Moghul court, Ghulam Ali Khan depicting a Hunting expedition by a Moghul king and his retinue killing tigers. It caught my attention because of the rich colours that were used in it and the finery in which the entire group was. I wondered as to why they were in their splendid finery to kill some beasts!

Hunting is a primitive instinct of animals and humans as well. Hunting which used to be for self-defence and preservation ended up being a favourite pastime of the Emperors, kings, Britishers who ruled us and small-time Zamindars. It was considered as representing the valour and chivalry of those who took part in it. As seen in the painting, the number of men in the entourage accompanying the king who is shown killing the tiger was big. The men were on horses, and elephants, and were equipped with weapons. All this to kill a poor tiger! If you ask me chivalry lies in facing the tiger on the ground with bear hands at the same terms as the animal is. Valour is not overpowering the beast while being at an advantage.

What is the purpose of the futile killing of the Majestic beast? and how can they even feel like killing a beautiful animal? They would take the bodies, skin the carcass and preserve the tiger skin for posterity and adore them on walls as a trophy! I only pity such men who have a misplaced sense of valour and chivalry and paintings like these bear testimony to their superficial thinking and false pride. My heart goes to the tiger who is wasted. An animal wouldn’t kill humans without any provocation, while humans killed animals shamelessly, for entertainment.