War in Ancient India c7.s1.t4.28

c7.s1.t4.28

The *Agni Purāṇa*⁵⁸ considered to be as late as *C.* 900 A.D. has some interesting details. Six warriors could ride at a time on an elephant, two with maces on its neck, two archers on its back, and two with swords behind them. While the elephant marched, it was defended by three horsemen. If this reckoning is compared with the different orders recommended on various occasions in the *Mahābhārata* and the *Rāmāyaṇa*, it only shows that the arrangements were dictated by the circumstances, and there was nothing like a uniform law which was to be observed, though in theory it was there.⁵⁹ For instance, while in one place we are told that a chariot had ten elephants, and each elephant had in its turn ten horsemen; in another place it is said that each chariot had 100 elephants, and each elephant had 1,000 horsemen protecting it.⁶⁰ In actual practice, however, the Matsya army consisted of 8,000 chariots, 1,000 elephants, and 60,000 horse.⁶¹