Speaking with Nature: The Origins of Indian Environmentalism

by Ramachandra Guha, Neil Shah (Contribution by)

Overview

By the canons of orthodox social science, countries like India are not supposed to have an environmental consciousness. They are, as it were, "too poor to be green." In this deeply researched book, Ramachandra Guha challenges this narrative by revealing a virtually unknown prehistory of the global movement set far outside Europe or America. Long before the publication of Rachel Carson's Silent Spring and well before climate change, ten remarkable individuals wrote with deep insight about the dangers of environmental abuse from within an Indian context. In strikingly contemporary language, Rabindranath Tagore, Radhakamal Mukerjee, J. C. Kumarappa, Patrick Geddes, Albert and Gabrielle Howard, Mira, Verrier Elwin, K. M. Munshi, and M. Krishnan wrote about the forest and the wild, soil and water, urbanization and industrialization. Positing the idea of what Guha calls "livelihood environmentalism" in contrast to the "full-stomach environmentalism" of the affluent world, these writers, activists, and scientists played a pioneering role in shaping global conversations about humanity's relationship with nature.

Spanning more than a century of Indian history, and decidedly transnational in reference, this book offers rich resources for considering the threat of climate change today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9798228605602
Publisher:	Tantor
Publication date:	09/23/2025
Product dimensions:	5.30(w) x 7.50(h) x (d)
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Ramachandra Guha is the author of many books, including India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy and Gandhi: The Years That Changed the World, 1914-1948. Guha's awards include the Leopold-Hidy Prize of the American Society of Environmental History, the Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography, and the Fukuoka Prize for contributions to Asian studies. He lives in Bangalore.

Neil Shah is an Audie Award-nominated narrator and AudioFile Earphones Award winner who has recorded over one hundred audiobooks. A classically trained actor with an MFA from the Old Globe/University of San Diego program, Neil has appeared off-Broadway and on regional stages, as well as in film and television.

Editorial Reviews

With his usual writerly grace, Guha expands the pantheon of environmental prophets to include ten thinkers in India, both Indian and foreign, both prominent and—until now—obscure. A work of cardinal importance for the history of environmentalism.”—J. R. McNeill, author of The Webs of Humankind

“In this triumph of intellectual history, Ramachandra Guha gives us a bracing new genealogy of environmental thought—one that offers a critical reminder that care for the earth and human justice need not be at odds.”—Bathsheba Demuth, author of Floating Coast

“This book, by one of our era’s outstanding environmental historians, is a magnificent achievement.”—Rob Nixon, author of Slow Violence and the Environmentalism of the Poor

“Speaking with Nature is a stunning achievement. Ramachandra Guha, one of the pioneers of Indian environmental history, excavates the multiple and surprising lineages of environmentalism in modern India. Guha finds seeds of inspiration for our catastrophic times in paths not taken and forgotten ideas. Written with Guha’s characteristic grace and verve, Speaking with Nature is filled with telling detail, compelling characters, and arresting insights.”—Sunil Amrith, author of The Burning Earth

From the Publisher