10/7/2014Military History of India: Camels in Indian Warfare More Next Blog» Create Blog Sign In Military History of India STOP FUNDING PAKISTANI TERRORISM: THE LIFE YOU SAVE MAY BE YOUR OWN OR THAT OF SOMEONE YOU LOVE! Tuesday, September 07, 2010 Camels in Indian Warfare Camel mounted units of the Indian Army (13 and 17 Grenadiers) carried out cross-border raids and captured Pakistani territory along the international border in Rajasthan during the 1965 and 1971 wars. The 13 Grenadiers were the Bikaner and Jaisalmer Princely States' contribution to the Indian Army, and further traced their ancestry to the medieval armies of those Rajput States which had been using camels in warfare for centuries. The above miniature painting portrays a medieval Rajput camel rider bearing arms like the bow and arrow, as well as sword and shield on his camel, which is accoutered in traditional gorbandh and has a doubleseated saddle. In the ancient Vedic texts of India the Sanskrit word for camels is ushtra, which over the centuries evolved into uttra (Prakrit) and unta (Apabhramsa). Camel bone remains have been found in the Bronze Age civilization spread across the plains from the Sindhu to the Saraswati River in North India. Daimabad in Maharashtra has a camel depicted on a pottery fragment from the chalcolithic Jorwe culture (1300 BCE). The Markandeya Purana says that the camel is born out of the feet of http://horsesandswords.blogspot.ca/2010/09/camels-in-indian-warfare.html 1/6 particularly Rajasthan. are much hardier.ca/2010/09/camels-in-indian-warfare. It becomes apparent that camels generally were used for transport. A 9th century Pratihara panel from Mandor (West Rajasthan) shows a cart drawn by a camel. a camel rider is depicted in one of the friezes of the Sanchi stupa (Sunga period). and can be as fast. and flights of arrows. also has a camel as her mount. is the family deity (Kula Devi) of the Pushkarna Brahmins. From the ancient period. but a camel will not. a well-trained horse will charge and trample over infantry. Camels in the Dhola-Maru romance theme are represented in many other temples and forts across Rajasthan. Camels can bear greater loads than horses. For example. Horses were trained to stand firmly before artillery fire and charge into armies wielding firearms. The Goraksha Samhita says that Goddess Kalakarni has a camel as her vehicle. disregarding sword cuts. spear thrusts. Images of Unta Devi are also found in Orissa. The Goddess Mahamaya. and Eklingaji. In later times Ustravahini Devi or Unta Devi. camel cavalry was known from early times. while mule and camel corps in ancient Indian armies were called Ushtra-Vami and used for transport. But in general camels are considered less intelligent and cannot do certain vital tasks.10/7/2014 Military History of India: Camels in Indian Warfare Brahma and the only God with a camel as his mount is Virupaksha. Kiradu. This latter Goddess has been mentioned in the Harsanatha temple at Sikar (Rajasthan) built by the Chauhan Vigraharaja II (973 CE). and Hemadari assigns a camel mount to Vikata Gauri. but in the regions where they were bred. Camels of the Jaisalmer breed are trained to race and can cover 100 miles in a single night. Kula Devi of the Jadeja Rajputs who ruled Kutch for centuries. Camel cavalry and artillery A Rajput miniature painting depicts camels with mounted lancers in the background of a hunting scene. Chittor. Badoli. Both horses and camels have to be trained extensively before they can be used in battle.blogspot. Panini in Ashtadhyayi calls camel riders Ushtra-sadi. A depiction of camels in warfare occurs at Nadol (South Rajasthan) where a memorial tablet shows a camel-rider with sword (1673 CE).html 2/6 . cover long distances without water. and a force of camels formed part of the Pratihara army. Sculptural representations of the camel are found in the Rajasthani temples of Merta. while http://horsesandswords. Rajasthani camels were utilized for transport service in the 19th century Sindh and Afghan campaigns of the British. came into use. A kind of swivelgun shown above was first used in Asian armies and was alternatively called zamburak or shutarnal (shutar is the Persian term for camel derived from the Avestan and Sanskrit Ushtra). The development of firearms gave a boost to the deployment of camels in warfare. particularly when their utility became apparent in resisting the Turk invaders. With their ability to bear loads. camels in addition provided an elevated and mobile platform for delivering artillery fire. The Rajputs prized horses above all. In the Kingdoms of Rajasthan and Gujarat.blogspot. camel herders. When firing. Camel breeds and the camel trade http://horsesandswords. and shepherds. Horses are also easier to group together into formations. The most famous of the active war camel units was the Bikaner Camel Corps. However a Rajput warrior from the 14th century. Pabuji's story reflects the growing power of the Rathod clan in Western India during the late 14th century when the Delhi Sultanate had fragmented and the Rathods had formed a large independent Hindu Kingdom in Marwar. the camels were made to kneel and their legs were tied together.10/7/2014 Military History of India: Camels in Indian Warfare camels would shy away even from distant fire. named Pabuji Rathod. camel mounted troops continued to be used for patrolling and policing down to the 20th century.ca/2010/09/camels-in-indian-warfare. is worshiped as a deity by rural Rajputs. and each state maintained camel breeding herds (tolas). These served as a kind of mobile light artillery till the early decades of the 19th century when horse-drawn galloper guns.html 3/6 . after Maharaja Ganga Singh who was its founder. he was said to have made improvements in the use of camels. and to have slain in battle the Muslim governor of Patan (Gujarat). protected cows. named the Ganga Risala. with greater range and firepower. and unattached Afghans searching for employment.. Such conditions worsen in the countries on India's western borders.10/7/2014 Military History of India: Camels in Indian Warfare An illustrated folio of the Akbarnamah depicting the 16th century Mughal siege of Champaner in Gujarat. Such foreign breeds were less resistant to heat and Indian camel breeds from Baluchistan westwards began to be used by Mughal armies primarily for transport. the dry conditions make the use of camels for transport and as fast couriers essential. Baloch camel traders are shown as forming the long tail of Aurangzeb's army that caused so much devastation in the Deccan Wars late in the 17th Century. the purity and distinct characteristics of Indian breeds were maintained at least in Rajasthan and Gujarat." Across many parts of India. particularly the west and northwest. The two camels are probably the twinhumped Bactrian breed and are carrying naggada beaters.ca/2010/09/camels-in-indian-warfare. plundered and beat the country people most mercilessly.Particularly the Beluchi camel-owners who hired out their animals to the army.. http://horsesandswords. until the European domination of the sea trade ended the importance of those land routes. and in the interiors of the peninsula. and camels were the only means to carry the annual burden of the extensive medieval trade to and from India. were the tail of the army.blogspot... While different breeds of Indian and foreign camels were traded and utilized in the armies of Indian Kingdoms.. however. Jadunath Sarkar wrote in his History of Aurangzib: "The worst oppressors of the peasants.html 4/6 . Health and Medicines Abbott buys Piram al's ge ne rics busine ss for billions . training. shows the e x iste nce of tige rs in that part of India from which the y are today e x tinct.10/7/2014 Military History of India: Camels in Indian Warfare Camels of the Mewar breed are noted for their ability to carry loads across the hilly terrain.. hair..html 5/6 . http://horsesandswords. Camels of the Marwar breed were considered distinct in the past and the state of Jodhpur had camel sowars in its army. Camel meat in general is not acceptable to most other communities in Rajasthan and Gujarat. Camels are used for ploughing and drawing water in Jaisalmer. In this miniature painting Mewari camels bear Rajput nobles out on a hunt in the forested Aravalli range. ce le brate s the 472nd birth annive rsary of Maharana Pratap also k nown. In the past camels were bred in many states. like the Raika and Rabari. One unique facet of camel breeding in India is that communities associated with this task. and leather.. and Mewari. intestine. Royal Splendour Me war R oyalty ce le brate s R ajput m ilitary he ritage .ca/2010/09/camels-in-indian-warfare. Kutchi. The Raika grooms come seated on a camel for their weddings. but today northern Marwar is included in the breeding ground of the Bikaneri breed while camels bred in southern Marwar are considered part of the Jaisalmeri breed. which was five tim e s its re ve nue s in 2008. once the capital of the Kingdom of Me war.A R ajput m iniature from the Jam m u hills. The m iniatu. do not eat its flesh which is common for camel pastorals in other parts of the world. Jaisalmeri. and disease treatment. date d circa 1750. Camel grazing is also more environmentally friendly than in other livestock. are an important part of the local economy. Posted by Airavat at 8:51 AM Reactions: Newer Post funny (0) interesting (0) Home cool (0) Older Post My Blog List Wild Boar Hunt Tige rs in Jam m u .6 billion. and the community has accumulated a vast pool of knowledge on camel characteristics. bones.blogspot.A proce ssion today in the city of Udaipur. and camel products like milk.. but today the National Research Center on Camel recognizes four distinct breeds: Bikaneri.Afte r ge ne rics m ak e r R anbax y was sold by its prom ote rs for $4.
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