War in Ancient India c6.s6.t4.1

c6.s6.t4.1

Examining the various coins found in India we notice some kinds of arms and armour exhibited in them. In the Persian and Macedonian types of coins¹⁷⁴ the obverse side contains a mounted horseman wearing curio, with lance in rest, pursuing two mounted men on an elephant. This is identified with Porus's pursuit on an elephant but cannot be conclusively accepted. On the reverse is one wearing a spear and a thunderbolt. The Indian types of Bactrian kings are illustrated by Appolodotus I wearing the bow and arrow and Antimachus naked to the waist wearing a trident in the right arm and perhaps a shield hanging from his left. In the face of this numismatic evidence, Baden-Powell's conjecture that the śūla was only a temple symbol and not a war weapon, falls to the ground. Moreover, it was probably the symbol of the Kushan kings, of the first century A.D., as testified to by their coins.¹⁷⁵ Again, in the numerous Indo-Scythian coins¹⁷⁶ the kings wear coats of mail, or chain armour, helmets with straight swords and lances, some standing and others on horses or elephants. There are also short curved spears, clubs, and other weapons. Some of them belonged to the second or third century B.C. or even much earlier.