This text investigates how the concepts of endangerment and extinction have been constructed and applied to both biological species and human communities in India over two centuries. Ezra Rashkow, a historian specializing in environmental and South Asian studies, utilizes a multidisciplinary approach to analyze the intersection of colonial and post-colonial conservation policies. He argues that the discourse surrounding the protection of tigers and the management of indigenous 'tribes' often relies on problematic definitions of nature and culture that have historically justified displacement and exclusion.

Scholars in environmental history recognize this work as a significant contribution to the critique of conservationist narratives in South Asia. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose and the author's rigorous engagement with archival sources.