When Alexander the Great invaded India, King Sopeithes of Gandhara (Gundurbar) gifted him 150 dogs! I get this nugget from S.Theodore Baskaran’s new book The Book of Indian Dogs . “For the upkeep of those big and powerful dogs, Alexander also took along men with him,” says Baskaran.
The front cover of the slim book carries the photograph of a Kombai breed of dog, clicked by the author himself. Kombai is a breed from south India and is named after a village in Madurai. “It’s a fearless dog, and a beautiful one. Kombai finds a mention in Colonel James Welsh’s book Military Reminiscences (1830),” he says.
Honourable mention
Colonel Welsh who fought the Poligars in southern Tamil Nadu, documented it in the book. He mentions how the fort of the Marudhu Brothers in Kaliyakovil near Tirunelvei was defended by a brace of fierce Kombai dogs.
“Some dog enthusiasts have formed Kombai Dog Preservation Unit to revive the breed. A pup of this particular breed costs Rs. 10,000. But, still the status of the breed is obscure. It often goes by trust,” he says. He laments that many people are ignorant of the Indian breeds of dogs. “The Rampur Hound owned by the Nawabs in U.P. looks majestic. A pair of thin long legs, and a sharp face, it’s a handsome dog. Sadly, not many people know about it.”
Theodore Baskaran, a retired Chief Postmaster General of Tamil Nadu, finds Indian dogs fascinating and has two himself, a Rajapalayam and a Tibetan spaniel.
The Book of Indian Dogs is particularly significant as there are hardly any documented works like it. Once of the earliest books on Indian Dogs by Major W.V. Soman came out almost 50 years ago. “I have written about 25 breeds and grouped them under three categories that include working dogs, companions, and hounds. There are many more. I feel dogs form a unique bridge between animal and human beings. Though Indian dogs were in demand abroad, the upper class and middle class despised them. The term ‘dog’ was used in a derogatory manner to abuse a human being. It’s the working class, farmers, and tribals and hunters who owned dogs. It was treated as a work animal, like a horse or an ox, and used for guarding, hunting and also in battles. It could bite off the hamstring of horses in a battle and topple them,” he recounts from history.
I learn that the one of the earliest representation of dogs are in the frescos of Ajanta and in Mughal miniature works (Akbar is painted along with a hound). Did you know that the Nawab of Junagadh, Mohbet Khan Rasul Khan, owned 150 dogs including Bull Terriers and Border Collies? The book has all the details. The Nawab also had a separate kennel and caretaker for each dog and some of the dogs walked around wearing diamond studded collars!
He calls his book, a work of a lifetime. “I got posted across India during my work with the postal department. During the weekends, I gathered info, took photographs, and researched about Indian dogs in various regions, right from the Himalayas to Cape Comorin,” says Baskaran. He also looked up the journals of the Bombay Natural History Society, and gazettes of the Kennel Club of India.
Baskaran who is also a naturalist, and conservationist, is a well known cinema historian. One of his books, The Eye of the Serpent , won the national award for best writing on cinema.
The author says that along with Carnatic music, Tanjore temples and the Taj Mahal, life forms should also be considered as heritage. “For example, the Blackbucks or Great Indian Bustards. They are exclusive to India. Among domestic animals, you have the Kangeyam Kaalai and Burgur Kaalai . Similarly, among dogs, Indian dogs are distinct.”
The book features photographs of the Himalayan Mastiff, Koochee, Lhasa apso, Tibetan spaniel, Chippiparai, Mudhol, and Pashmis. Some of the breeds like Kaikadi, Alaknoori, Banjara, and Kurumalai, are recreated in the form of sketches. “Once the British came, the wave of imported dog breeds arrived in India. As a result, Indian breeds were neglected. With the Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 that prevented the use of dogs in hunting, the dogs were abandoned on the streets and left to fend for themselves.”
The colonial hangover has spelt doom for the Indian breeds, he says. “We have to decolonise our minds. There are over 30 million abandoned dogs on the streets, spreading death and disease. We are the most irresponsible dog owners in the world. Some owners still keep the dogs tied (it is like solitary confinement), feed them leftover food and neglect giving them vaccinations or neutering them. Though dog enthusiasts in Andhra and Tamil Nadu are working towards protecting Indian breeds, a lot more needs to be done,” he says. After retirement, Baskaran also visited several Kennel Clubs and dog shows across the country.
He says, “At some of the shows you draw a blank as you keep seeing the same set of dogs. But there are exceptions. For instance, I saw the Vaghri hound in a show in Gujarat. Just that one time.”
Theodore Baskaran and education
Recently, the State Government has formed a 10-member committee headed by Anna University’s former Vice-Chancellor M.Ananthakrishnan of which Baskaran is a member. The committee, made up of experts from agriculture, environment, arts and mathematics besides academicians, will draft a new curriculum and syllabus for state board students on par with CBSE.
Baskaran says: To conceptualise and develop thinking it is important to learn in one’s mother tongue. Personalities like C.V. Raman, and Ramanujam, were educated in their mother tongue. In places like Switzerland, Germany, it is given a top priority. I am not against English, but one’s native language cannot be neglected
Impetus on environment and conservation is a must in schools. A child should know about the poovarasan tree and the neem tree, the insects, and birds. Environment, water, and pure air is crucial for existence. Subjects on these topics are crucial as it’s about life support system. If we continue to cut trees, we will run out of drinking water.
