Beast and Man in India is John Lockwood Kipling’s affectionate and learned study of the animals of India and their many relations with its people. Kipling — artist, museum curator, and father of Rudyard — describes domestic and wild creatures alongside the customs, crafts, proverbs, and folklore that bind them to human life.
Illustrated by the author, the book blends natural history, folklore, and social observation into a vivid portrait of Indian culture seen through its animals. It is a rich source for the ethnography of everyday life, recording attitudes toward elephants, cattle, horses, monkeys, and more. For readers interested in Indian folklore, the human-animal relationship, and the texture of colonial-era India, Kipling’s work remains delightful and informative.