shikaris

Shikari is a term used in the Indian subcontinent for a professional hunter, hunt guide, or game hunter. The word derives from the Persian/Urdu shikār, meaning hunting, with -i forming an agent noun. Historically, shikaris were employed by royalty, aristocrats, and the colonial administration to locate, track, and often kill large game such as tigers, leopards, elephants, and deer, as well as to provide guidance during royal or sports hunts.

Duties of a shikari included forest reconnaissance, tracking animal behavior, beating (flushing) the forest to drive game toward hunters, handling hunting dogs, and advising on routes, terrain, and safety. They relied on long-standing knowledge of local flora and fauna, weather, camouflage, and stealth. In many areas they were drawn from forest-dwelling communities and tribes, such as the Bhil and other groups, and could be contracted by princes, landowners, estates, or colonial authorities. Conditions of work were often hazardous, with risks from dangerous game and difficult terrain; compensation and status varied by employer.

In the colonial era, shikaris played a prominent role in big-game hunts and in man-eater or problem-animal control. The practice has since declined, and the term is less common in official use today. Modern equivalents include forest guards, trackers, and wildlife guides who work within conservation and research frameworks. The legacy of shikaris is evident in literature and film, and in the historical record of wildlife management in South Asia; figures such as Jim Corbett highlighted the link between professional hunting, local knowledge, and wildlife conservation.