War in Ancient India c14.31

c14.31

The use of flags and banners was not a peculiar feature of the North Indians. The early Tamil kings of South India had their own standards. The emblem of their crests served as the sign of their banners. We hear of *kayal* (fish), *śilai* (bow) and *puli* (tiger) flag.¹⁷ In the Sinnamanur plates of Rājasimha Pāṇḍya, the Pāṇḍyan is designated as *mīnadhvaja*. The expression *Pulikkoḍiyon* (he who possesses the tiger flag) occurs again in the *Perumtogai* (1200). Besides the streamers attached to the chariots, the flags were also carried on elephants in Tamil warfare. Reference is made to this in several places in Tamil literary works, especially the *Puranānūru* (st. 9 and 38). Lofty standards of varied colours were placed on young war elephants which constituted an army. It is said that the white coloured flag was a sign of victory.¹⁸ That the flag signified victory in war is also seen in other works like the Maduraikkāñji,¹⁹ and Malaipaḍukaḍām.²⁰ Thus it was the South Indian practice to use the same emblem for both their seals and standards. That this was followed by later kings of South Indian dynasties can be seen from the Pallavas, Chālukyas and Vijayanagar monarchs. The Pallavas had the Vṛṣabhadhvaja or the Bull Standard. Boar flags were used both by the Chālukyas and the Vijayanagar kings.