While the chariots eventually fell into disuse, the other three arms continued to be valued. Although viewed as secondary to chariots by royalty, elephants were the preferred vehicle of warriors, especially the elite ones. Kings and princes principally ride on chariots, which was considered the most royal, while seldom ride the back of elephants. In ancient India, initially, the army was fourfold ( chaturanga), consisting of infantry, cavalry, elephants and chariots. They are recognized as an essential component of royal and military processions. The ancient Indian epics Ramayana and Mahābhārata, dating from 5th–4th century BC, elaborately depict elephant warfare. War elephants in battle during the Carnatic Wars. It is commonly thought that all war elephants were male because of males' greater aggression, but it is rather because a female elephant in battle will run from a male therefore only males could be used in war, whereas female elephants were more commonly used for logistics.
Today an elephant is considered in its prime and at the height of its power between the ages of 25 and 40, yet elephants as old as 80 are used in tiger hunts because they are more disciplined and experienced. Sixty-year-old war elephants were always prized as being at the most suitable age for battle service and gifts of elephants of this age were seen as particularly generous. The wild elephant populations of Mesopotamia and China declined quickly because of deforestation and human population growth: by c. 850 BC the Mesopotamian elephants were extinct, and by c. 500 BC the Chinese elephants were seriously reduced in numbers and limited to areas well south of the Yellow River.Ĭapturing elephants from the wild remained a difficult task, but a necessary one given the difficulties of breeding in captivity and the long time required for an elephant to reach sufficient maturity to engage in battle. Archaeological evidence for the presence of wild elephants in the Yellow River valley in Shang China (1600–1100 BC) may suggest that they also used elephants in warfare. The oldest evidence comes from the Indus Valley civilization, around roughly 2000 BC.
TOWER OF TRAMPLE PART 1 FULL
Elephant taming – not full domestication, as they are still captured in the wild, rather than being bred in captivity – may have begun in any of three different places. The first elephant species to be tamed was the Asian elephant, for use in agriculture.
TOWER OF TRAMPLE PART 1 HOW TO
These elephants would be fit to learn how to systematically trample and charge enemies. Then the elephants were taught to run and maneuver around obstacles, and move in formation. The elephant would have learned how to raise its legs to help a rider climb on. According to Chanakya as recorded in the Arthashastra, first the mahout would have to get the elephant used to being led. To accomplish this, they utilize metal chains and a specialized hook called an ankus, or 'elephant goad'.
Mahouts were responsible for capturing and handling elephants. They continued to be used in combat, however, in some parts of the world, such as in Burma, Thailand, and Vietnam, well into the 19th century.Ī 17th-century depiction of the mythological war of Lanka in the ancient Indian epic Ramayana, showing war elephants.Īn elephant trainer, rider, or keeper is called a mahout. After this, war elephants became restricted to non-combat engineering and labour roles, as well as being used for minor ceremonial uses. However, their use declined with the spread of firearms and other gunpowder weaponry in early modern warfare. In some regions they maintained a firm presence on the battlefield throughout the Middle Ages. During classical antiquity they were also used in ancient Persia and in the Mediterranean world within armies of Macedon, Hellenistic Greek states, the Roman Republic and later Empire, and Carthage in North Africa. While seeing limited and periodic use in ancient China, they became a permanent fixture in armies of historical kingdoms in Southeast Asia. War elephants played a critical role in several key battles in antiquity, especially in Ancient India. Elephantry is a term for specific military units using elephant-mounted troops. The war elephant's main use was to charge the enemy, break their ranks and instill terror and fear.
Rajput painting depicting a war elephant in an armyĪ war elephant was an elephant that was trained and guided by humans for combat.