Pristine Jainism : Animal Husbandry

Scientific evidences indicate that history of agriculture is only eight to ten thousand years old. In the beginning the first Palaeolithic mankind was solely dependent on forests. It was only subsequently because of depletion of forests that the Neolithic man became partially hunter. In this era also wise men cautioned against hunting which if continued would eliminate the prey and eventually the hunter also because he was dependent on the prey. Therefore Neolithic man who took to hunting subsequently evolved wiser and adopted domestication of animals or animal husbandry which was symbiotic i.e. mutually beneficial for both man and animals. Animals were reared, cared and fed properly and in return provided milk, butter, wool and other useful products. It saved the prey, the animals from decimation by hunting and man then dependent on hunting.