War in Ancient India c6.s6.2

c6.s6.2

It is nearly forty years since Baden Powell wrote as follows in the *Journal of Indian Art and Industry* (Vol. I): "It will be interesting when, some day, some antiquarian¹²⁸ is found to reproduce the various ancient forms of weapons as they appear in the sculpture." Here an humble endeavour is made to study as far as possible some of the interesting sculptures relating to ancient arms and armour which disclose many peculiarities of ancient warfare and thus possess great historical value. Much spade work has been done here by Edgerton and Birdwood whose observations are found in their respective publications, *The Illustrated Arms of India* and *The Industrial Arts of India*, and also by Bhattacharya and Gopinatha Rao, so far as iconography is concerned. There are also other interesting works like those of Burgess, Cunningham, Havell, Fergusson, and Smith, most of which have also been laid under contribution.