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Royal army contained four wings such as soldier on foot, chariot, cavalry and elephants; they are collectively called 鈥�颁补迟耻谤补峁単补 蝉别苍腻鈥�. So it is quite clear that elephants were one of the component parts of it. Ancient literatures also corroborated this view. The H膩thigumph膩 inscription of 碍补濒颈峁単补r膩j 碍丑腻谤补惫别濒补 (1^st century CE) gives reference to his strong army consisting cavalry, elephant, infantry, and chariots.^[1] Inscriptions like Jabbal Copperplate of Ya艣a岣�kar峁嘺deva (CE 1122)^[2], Pithapuram inscription of Pa峁環avi艣vara (艢补办补 Samvat 1108, i.e. CE 1186-87)^[3] also mention about four kinds of soldiers in their army.

On the other hand Daulatpura plate of Bhojadeva I of Mahodaya of Kanauj dated 艢补办补 Samvat 100 (i.e. CE 706) tells about the 笔补帽肠腻峁単补 蝉别苍腻 including elephant squad of the Gurjjaras, i.e., boats, elephants, horses, chariots and foot soldiers which was fixed the glorious Mahodaya鈥�

鈥�艣r墨 mahodayasam膩v膩sit-膩nekanau-hastya-补艣惫补-谤补迟丑补-patti-sampanna 蝉办补苍诲丑腻惫腻谤腻迟鈥�..鈥�^[4].

The elephant squad was very strong especially in the regions of 痴补峁単补, 碍补濒颈峁単补, Assam and in the southern regions. In the Hathigumpha inscription of the Kali峁単膩dhipati 碍丑腻谤补惫别濒补 is said to have watered his elephants in the Ganga River, which indicates that he conquered the region with the help of his strong elephant squad^[5]. Hathi-苍颈惫腻蝉补-辫补谤颈蝉补谤补峁�鈥攖his reading of the phrase is more reliable than the previous one (hatthi-苍腻惫补苍补-辫补谤颈辫耻谤补峁�). 狈颈惫腻蝉补=苍颈谤惫腻蝉补^[6]. The reference seems to be to elephant preserves or some original form of 办丑别诲腻 arrangement, invented by 碍丑腻谤补惫别濒补. The elephants of 碍补濒颈峁単补 were very famous in early India. The strength of 碍丑腻谤补惫别濒补 probably lay in elephants. He took the fort of 笔腻峁璦濒颈辫耻迟谤补 with the help of elephants. Later days Xuan Zang in his account stated that 碍补濒颈峁単补 produced the great tawny wild elephant which much prized by neighboring provinces.

骋补峁単补 kings of Orissa were not only famous for their war-elephants but inscriptions tell about their vigor with such expressions that 惭补丑腻谤腻箩腻诲丑颈谤腻箩补 碍辞峁単补峁噄 alias Bh奴vikrama had marks on his broad breast with the resplendent marks of victory grown from the wounds, resulting from the blows of the hatchets which were the tusks of the elephants:

鈥�办耻濒颈艣-腻产丑颈驳丑腻迟补-惫谤补峁嘺-蝉补峁价奴岣峢补-产丑腻蝉惫补诲-vijaya-濒补办峁�a峁嘺-濒补办峁Ｄ�-办峁泃补-惫颈艣腻濒补-惫补办峁�a岣�s迟丑补濒补岣�鈥� (l. 23),

King 艢谤墨惫补濒濒补产丑补 possessed hundreds of furious elephants these facts are known from the Spurious Islampur plates of the 骋补峁単补 king 痴颈箩补测腻诲颈迟测补 of his thirtieth year^[7] (c. 8^th century CE).

痴颈箩补测腻诲颈迟测补 himself was a good elephant and horse 谤颈诲别谤鈥�

鈥�丑补蝉迟测-补艣惫腻谤辞丑补峁噊鈥� (l. 49).

The Nidhanpur copper plates of Bh膩skaravarman refer to Suprati峁ａ弓hitavarman, who was possessed of rich elephants (v.21)^[8]. The Assam plates of Ballabhadeva, a prince, of 艢补办补 samvat 1107 or CE1184/85 tells us that one of his predecessors R膩yarideva was engaged at the gorgeous festival of battle which was fearful on account of the presence of the lordly elephants of 痴补峁単补-鈥�痴补峁単补-kar墨ndra-蝉补峁単补鈥�.鈥�, made the enemy abandon the entire practice of arms on the battlefield, and who, in his own person rendered the creation of 鈥渢he lion of the three worlds鈥� (Trailokya 蝉颈峁僪补) exceedingly fruitful^[9]. It indicates to the huge and powerful elephants of the 痴补峁単补 country as we all know that the Bengal region is famous for its elephants. Three records in the Bangalore Museum states that Amoghavar峁�adeva (Vaddiga)鈥�. Marvel with elephants; a wrestler against forest elephants (l.2)^[10].

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

Ibid., Vol. XX, p.87.

[2]:

Ibid., Vol.II, pp.1-7.

[3]:

Ibid., Vol.IV, p.48.

[4]:

Ibid., Vol.V, pp.211-212

[5]:

EI, Vol. X, Appendix, p.160-161.

[6]:

Cf. 碍腻尘补苍诲补办颈测补 苍墨迟颈蝉腻谤补, XV, 7.

[7]:

EI, Vol.XII, pp.48-55.

[8]:

Ibid., p.78.

[9]:

Ibid., Vol.V, pp.184&186.

[10]:

Ibid.,Vol.VI, p.55.