They were known to the Asuras of Vedic literature. There is a legend narrated in the third book of the Hariharacaturanga though this is work of the late 12th century A. In the epoch of the epics and the Arthasastra, we find that the cavalry occupied as important a place in the army as any other division. Megasthenes corroborates the evidence of the Arthasastra. There was a special department in the State for the cavalry.
The horses of the State were provided with stables and placed under the care of good grooms and syces. There were several trained horsemen who could jump forward and arrest the speed of galloping horses. But the majority of them rode their horses with bit and bridle. When horses became ungovernable they were placed in the hands of professional trainers who made the animals gallop round in small circles. In selecting horses of war, their age, strength, and size were taken into account.
We may remark in passing that Abhimanyu's horses were only three years old. How important the science of horses was to the ancient Indians is best seen from the Laksanaprakasa which quotes from several important old authorities some of which are probably lost to us.
Among them are the Asvayurveda and Asvasastra, the former attributed to Jayadeva and the latter to Nakula. Both the Puranas and the epics agree that the horses of the Sindhu and Kamboja regions were the finest breed and that the services of the Kambojas as cavalry troopers were requisitioned in ancient wars. In the Mahabharata war the Kambojans Cambodians were enlisted. The steeds of Bahalika were also highly esteemed. Horses had names and so did elephants. Unlike the chariot horse, the cavalryman drove his animal with a whip which was generally fixed to the wrist.
This allowed his hand free play. The cavalryman was armed with arrow or spear or sword. He wore breastplate and turban unsnisa. Worth noting is the fact that horses were made to drink wine before actually marching to battle.
The tactical use of the cavalry was to break through the obstacles on the way, to pursue the retreating enemy, to cover the flanks of the army, to effect speedy communication with the various parts of the army unobserved bahutsara and to pierce the enemy ranks from the front to the rear. The cavalry was responsible, in a large measure, for the safety and security of the army in entrenched positions, forests or camps. It obstructed movements of supplies and reinforcements to the enemy.
In short, the cavalry was indispensable in situations requiring quickness of movement. Infantry The next important division of the army was the infantry, or foot-soldier. The Arthasastra speaks of the infantry as a separate army department under the charge of a special officer of the State.
This receives confirmation from Megasthenes statement. Besides the maula or hereditary troops which formed a considerable portion of the army, there were,. According to the Sukraniti and the Kamandakanitsara, the army was to be made as imposing as possible to frighten the enemy by its size.
The Agni-purana says that victory ever attends the army where foot-soldiers are numerically strong. The Sukraniti also mentions that foot-soldiers possessed fire-arms when they fought. When these foot-soldiers equipped themselves for war Arrian says that,. This they rest upon the ground and pressing against it and their left foot, thus discharge the arrow having drawn the string backwards: the shaft they use is little short of being three yards long, and there is nothing which can resist an Indian Archer's shot - neither shield nor breast-plate, nor any stronger defense if such there be.
In their left hand they carry bucklers made of undressed ox-hide which are not so broad as those who carry them but are about as long. If we turn to the ancient nations and especially the ancient Egyptians we meet with almost a similar description. The Commissariat The Caturanaga was a classical division of the army accepted by tradition.
But in the epoch of the epic we hear of a Sadanga or the six-fold army, including commissariat and admiralty. The use of commissariat can be traced to the epic age. This belonged to the category of administrative division of troops as against the combatant. We are told that this division of the army into two categories was first seen in the battle of Mansikert A. But, centuries before, the Indian army leaders had realized the value of such a division. It is said that when the Pandava army marched to Kurukshetra it was followed by 'carts and transport cars, and all descriptions of vehicles, the treasury, weapons and machines and physicians and surgeons, along with the few invalids that were in the army and all those that were weak and powerless.
This was purely a civil department attached to the army. Care was also given to wounded animals. The numerous references in our authorities to the Commissariat demonstrate beyond doubt that wars were planned methodically and conducted systematically.
The Admiralty The Admiralty as a department of the State may have been a creation of Chandragupta but there is evidence to show that the use of ships and boats was known to the people of the Rig Veda.
In the following passage we have reference to a vessel with a hundred oars. Cartography There is no special word in Sanskrit for a 'a map. That maps were made in ancient India seems to be quite clear from the evidence of the New History of the T'ang Dynasty which gives an account of the Chinese general Wang Hiuen-tse 's exploits in India in the year A. With reference to the knowledge of map-making among the people of India, especially the Dravidians of the South:.
Marco Polo found them in the hands of his Indian pilot, and their nature is fully explained in the Mohit or 'the Encyclopaedia of the Sea'". Hindu Valor The Hindus were declared the by the Greeks to be the bravest nation they ever came in contact with.
It was the Hindu King of Magadha that struck terror in the ever-victorious armies of Alexander. Abul Fazal , the minister of Akbar , after admiring their noble virtues, speaks of the valor of the Hindus in these terms:. Their soldiers Rajputs know to what it is to flee from the fields of battle, but when the success of the combat becomes doubtful, they dismount from their horses and throw away their lives in payment of the debt of valor.
Francois Bernier , a 17th century traveler says that:. The Spartans, as is well known, dressed their hair on such occasions. It is well known that when a Rajput becomes desperate, he puts on garments of saffron color, which act, in technical language, is called kesrian kasumal karna donning saffron robes. Aerial Warfare. To be so perfect in aeronautics, they must have known all the arts and sciences related to the science, including the strata and currents of the atmosphere, the relative temperature, humidity, density and specific gravity of the various gases Henry S Olcott — American author, attorney, philosopher, and cofounder of the Theosophical Society in a lecture in Allahabad, in There are numerous illustration in our vast Puranic and epic literature to show how well and wonderfully the ancient Indians conquered the air.
To glibly characterize everything found in this literature as imaginary and summarily dismiss it as unreal has been the practice of both Western and Eastern scholars until very recently. The very idea indeed was ridiculed and people went so far to assert that it was physically impossible for man to use flying machines.
But today what with balloons, airplanes….. Turning to Vedic literature, in one of the Brahmanas occurs the concept of a ship that sails heavenwards.
The ship is the Agnihotra of which the Ahavaniya and Garhapatya fires represent the two sides bound heavenward, and the steersman is the Agnihotrin who offers milk to the three Agnis. Again in the still earlier Rg Veda Samhita we read that the Asvins conveyed the rescued Bhujya safely by means of winged ships. The latter may refer to the aerial navigation in the earliest times. In the recently published Samarangana Sutradhara of Bhoja , a whole chapter of about stanzas is devoted to the principles of construction underlying the various flying machines and other engines used for military and other purposes.
The ancient Hindus could navigate the air, and not only navigate it,. The various advantages of using machines, especially flying ones, are given elaborately. Three movements are usually ascribed to these machines, - ascending, cruising thousands of miles in different directions in the atmosphere and lastly descending.
These cars are said to move so fast as to make a noise that could be heard faintly from the ground. The evidence in its favor is overwhelming. An aerial car is made of light, wood looking like a great bird with a durable and well-formed body having mercury inside and fire at the bottom.
It had two resplendent wings, and is propelled by air. It flies in the atmospheric regions for a great distance and carries several persons along with it. The inside construction resembles heaven created by Brahma himself. Iron, copper, lead and other metals are also used for these machines.
All these show how far art and science was developed in ancient India in this direction. Such elaborate description ought to meet the criticism that the vimanas and similar aerial vehicles mentioned in ancient Indian literature should be relegated to the region of myth. The ancient writers could certainly make a distinction between the mythical which they designated as daiva and the actual aerial wars designated as manusa.
After the great victory of Rama over Lanka, Vibhisana presented him with the Puspaka vimana which was furnished with windows, apartments, and excellent seats. It was capable of accommodating all the vanaras besides Rama, Sita and Lakshman.
Again in the Vikramaurvaisya, we are told that king Puraravas rode in an aerial car to rescue Urvasi in pursuit of the Danava who was carrying her away. Similarly in the Uttararamacarita in the flight between Lava and Candraketu Act VI a number of aerial cars are mentioned as bearing celestial spectators.
There is a statement in the Harsacarita of Yavanas being acquainted with aerial machines. The Tamil work Jivakacintamani refers to Jivaka flying through the air.
Kathasaritsagara refers to highly talented woodworkers called Rajyadhara and Pranadhara. The former was so skilled in mechanical contrivances that he could make ocean crossing chariots.
And the latter manufactured a flying chariot to carry a thousand passengers in the air. These chariots were stated to be as fast as thought itself. For more information refer to Vymanika Shashtra. Says the Arthva Veda: "May we revel, living a hundred winters, rich in heroes.
Thus among the laws of war, we find that, 1 a warrior Khsatriya in armor must not fight with one not so clad 2 one should fight only one enemy and cease fighting if the opponent is disabled 3 aged men, women and children, the retreating, or one who held a straw in his lips as a sign of unconditional surrender should not be killed It is of topical interest to note that one of the laws enjoins the army to leave the fruit and flower gardens, temples and other places of public worship unmolested.
Back to Contents Territorial ideal of a one-State India Imperial sway in ancient India meant the active rule of an individual monarch who by his ability and prowess brought to subjection the neighboring chieftains and other rulers, and proclaimed himself the sole ruler of the earth.
Back to Contents The Laws of War When society became organized and a warrior caste Kshatriya came into being, it was felt that the members of this caste should be governed by certain humane laws, the observance of which, it was believed, would take them to heaven, while their non-observance would lead them into hell. Wilson says: "The Hindu laws of war are very chivalrous and humane, and prohibit the slaying of the unarmed, of women, of the old, and of the conquered.
Back to Contents Weapons of War as Gathered from Literature Dhanur Veda classifies the weapons of offence and defense into four - the mukta, the amukta, the mukta-mukta and the yantramukta. Fire-Arms: It would be interesting to examine the true nature of the agneya-astras.
A recent writer remarks: 'The Visvasaghati-agni-yoga was virtually a bomb which burst and the fragments of metals were scattered in all directions. Wilson : "the Hindus cultivated archery most assiduously and were very Parthians in the use of the bow on horse-back.
An early Arabic poet, Hellal , describing the flight of the Hemyarites, says: "But they fled under its ie. Indian Armour To conclude with the words of Sir George Birdwood : " For a variety, extent, and gorgeousness, and ethnological and artistic value, no such collection of Indian arms exists in this country England as that belonging to the Prince of Wales. Back to Contents Martial Arts - Fighting without weapons Fighting without weapons was a specialty of the Ksatreya caste of Ancient India and foot soldier alike.
Silambam — Indian Stick Fighting The art Nillaikalakki Silambam was brought to the royal court during the reign of the Cheran, Cholan and Pandian emperors, once powerful rulers of India. Watch Kalari Martial Arts and Silambam Martial Arts videos The art Nillaikalakki Silambam , which exists for more than five thousand years, is an authentic art which starts with the stick called Silambamboo 1. Its handle is called disc hilt, a name coming from the disc-like flange that surrounds the pommel.
As for the pommel, it features a short and decorative protrusion that comes from its center. Its blade is designed with edges and steel.
Multiple blades are linked to the handle, and its variant in Sri Lanka can have 32 blades attached. Only the most trained Rajput in ancient India were allowed to use this blade. They needed to have adequate coordination, agility, and concentration. The Pata features a gauntlet that is built in as handguard. In its place of origin, Maharashtra, people call this the Dandpatta. The blade of the Pata is long and straight, ranging from 10 to 44 inches long.
The special feature of the Dandpatta is its hilt that has a form of a gauntlet. The Marathas used the Dandpatta and it was an effective weapon against the Mughals. Wielders practiced cutting techniques by slicing fruit on the ground but without letting the blade touching the ground.
To follow the best weight loss journeys, success stories and inspirational interviews with the industry's top coaches and specialists. Start changing your life today! Sign in. Log into your account. Forgot your password? Password recovery. Recover your password. Asian Swords. By Medieval-Knight. June 8, Here, the focus will be on the deadliest, and most feared ancient Indian weapons used in battle.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons. Stay in Touch. Count Me In. Brahmanda is believed to manifest the 4 heads of Brahma, which can nullify most of all the powerful weapons released at it. This weapon can even swallow Brahmastra and neutralize it. It was created by Saptarishis to counter any weapon ever created. Brahmashira is considered 4 times more powerful weapon than Brahmastra. When used, it can devastate the place to such great deal leaving it infertile for decades.
Indrajit Meghanada used it in Ramayana epic killing million Vanaras. In Mahabharata, Aswasthama used it to finish the dynasty of Pandavas. Narayanastra, when used, would create millions of arrows and a disc-like weapon that is considered very destructive. It is one of the weapons that had to be obtained from Lord Vishnu in the form of Narayana which can be used only once in a lifetime. Bhargavastra is a weapon of Parashurama given to Karna which when used inflicts more powerful weapons, powerful than the Indrastra.
Paleo people used many parts of the animal for food, fur robes, moccasins and shelter. Toolmaking was a serious undertaking during the ice age. Paleo Indians traveled up to miles in search of quality materials for tools.
Paleo Indians used a heavy rock called a hammer stone to knap a smaller stone into a desired shape. The goal was to fashion a tool with sharp edges that could be used for hunting, self-defense or cutting chunks of meat.
Sharp scrapers aided in the cleaning of hides and pelts after a successful hunt. Animal skins offered vital protection from the bitter cold. Paleo people used an awl to make holes in fur scraps before stitching them together.
Paleo Indians are known for beautiful, intricate and highly effective projectile points. Among the oldest designs are Clovis points with a chiseled-out groove in the middle and jagged edges.
The center flute helped affix the tip to a spear. Paleo Indians quickly figured out that cryptocrystalline stone like chert, jasper and certain types of quartz are ideal materials for spearheads because they can be chipped without disintegrating and retain a razor-sharp edge. Paleo Indians carefully transported their valuable weapons from one encampment to the next as the tribe followed the seasonal migration of animals. Stone tips found in the U. Groups of families lived in circular-shaped dwellings constructed with poles tied together in a shape of a teepee.
Brush, mud and animal furs were wrapped around the poles for insulation. An animal hide hung over the entryway. A fire pit was added for warmth and cooking game.
Social organization was loose. Typically, there were no chiefs or other formal leaders. Expert hunters were held in high regard and likely influenced decisions about staying or leaving a particular spot.
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