Paper short abstract:

In this presentation, we tackle the 18th-century Russian import of elephants as a case of early modern technological transfer which recruited knowledge of Persian mahouts, German anatomists, and Russian furriers. Their efforts served to maintain imperial power in and with animal life and death.

Paper long abstract:

Political contacts and competition between two 18th-century empires, Russian Empire and Shakh Persia, brought about a regular gift exchange, which included a specific range of prestigious animals – birds of prey, highbred horses, and, last but not least, Indian elephants. Despite the failures of early instances of elephant transfer, diplomats on both sides sought to secure dispatch of animals and considered them as avatars of power both for the donor and the recipient.

Moving elephants to Russia depended primarily on Persian mahouts (often of Indian origin) who accompanied animals on the way and cared for them in Russia. They were responsible for animals’ well-being and ordered fodder and medications according to the principles of Indian “Elephant Science” (Hastyayurveda). Thus the Russian court facilitated a transfer of a complex environment which was laid out after an indigenous expertise. Furthermore, the death of an animal did not put an end to its charismatic duties but instead demanded another type of expert knowledge to step in. In these cases, the Imperial Court Office sought skills of naturalists and anatomists in the Academy of Sciences as well as craft of local furriers. Relocating animals to Kunstkammer meant their incorporation into the body of European anatomy and a tribute to the culture of curiosity.

In this presentation, we tackle the 18th-century import of elephants as a case of early modern technological transfer which recruited bodies of knowledge from disparate domains. As such, it served to maintain imperial power both in animal life and death.