The Bishnoi movement, one of the earliest organised environmental movements in India, was originally started against which of the following actions?

Introduction / Context:
This question belongs to Indian environmental history and social movements. The Bishnoi community is well known for its deep respect for nature, including trees and wild animals. One famous incident in the eighteenth century led to a major sacrifice by Bishnoi villagers in Rajasthan and is remembered as an early environmental movement in India. Understanding what they opposed helps candidates connect moral values with environmental protection in Indian society.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The question asks specifically about the Bishnoi movement.
• The focus is on the original action that the movement opposed.
• Options include cutting of trees, inequality of women, killing of animals, increasing pollution and illegal mining.
• We assume familiarity with the well known Khejarli incident.

Concept / Approach:
The Bishnoi movement is often linked to the Khejarli massacre, where many Bishnoi villagers gave up their lives to protect trees from being cut down for royal projects. While Bishnois also protect wildlife, the origin story of the movement is usually described as resistance to the felling of sacred Khejri trees. Therefore, candidates must identify the primary action being resisted: cutting of trees.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Bishnois follow a set of rules that emphasise protection of living beings and conservation of nature. Step 2: The most famous historical episode related to the Bishnois is the Khejarli incident in Rajasthan. Step 3: In this incident, royal officers arrived to cut Khejri trees for wood, and the Bishnoi villagers protested. Step 4: Many villagers sacrificed their lives by hugging the trees to stop them from being cut. Step 5: This movement is therefore remembered mainly as a stand against the cutting of trees.

Verification / Alternative check:
Textbooks on Indian environmental movements often connect the Bishnoi struggle with later movements like Chipko, which also used tree hugging as a method of protest. The Khejarli story is retold as an example of resistance to deforestation, not as a campaign about gender equality or industrial pollution. This parallel with the Chipko movement confirms that tree felling is at the core of the Bishnoi movement narrative.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Option B (Inequality and discrimination against women) is wrong; although the community may have social norms regarding women, the famous Bishnoi movement is not primarily about gender justice.
Option C (Killing of animals) is partially related, since Bishnois also protect wildlife, but the iconic historical movement referred to in exam questions is about villagers sacrificing their lives to save trees from being cut.
Option D (Increasing industrial pollution) is incorrect, because the original movement took place before modern industrialisation in India.
Option E (Illegal mining in forest areas) is also wrong, as mining was not the triggering issue in the classic Bishnoi story.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes know that Bishnois protect both trees and animals and may choose killing of animals instead of cutting of trees. However, exam questions usually focus on the specific Khejarli incident and its similarity to the later Chipko movement. Remembering that people physically hugged trees to stop them from being cut is an easy way to recall the correct answer.

Final Answer:
The Bishnoi movement was originally started against the cutting of trees.