Elephants, especially elephant corpses were used as an effective tool of penetrating into infantry columns during pre-Islamic India.Later advancements in battle strategies laid more importance on horses. Since central Asia and middle east (as per Mercator maps) was the ideal rearing place for horses, Islamic invasion forces were able to invade into India. Just like that ,later advancement in firearms (especially musket rifles) again enabled a rebirth of the infantry, when Maratha forces used muskets to perfection , helping them to repulse waves of horse born cavalry, so menacing in Islamic era. Likewise horses as a weapon of force projection became a thing of past with the emergence of armored vehicles like tanks and aircrafts, which became the best way to destroy enemy war assets and troupes. So, yes this picture is a succinct example how a prized asset of now could become a burden tomorrow. Kind of sad and redolent.

My limited knowledge of Maratha battle strategy tells me that a guerilla fighting force would provide better offense with cavalry than the Dakhin sultanets having elephants and used to fighting in the plains. I may be wrong.

Let’s not forget the mighty Mughal Awrangzib who was harassed no end by the Maratha guerilla forces.

It is not correct to describe the Maratha battle tactics as guerilla fighting. Shivaji established a standing army as well as the tertiary army of peasants, who were paid on contract basis to participate in the wars. Marathas, the current dominant caste in Maharashtra, has a clan system – mostly on the lines of the Scottish clans, where the entire Maratha population is divided into 96 clans (96 Kulas). Each clan leader had a minimum force of 96 soldiers organised in a 12*8 formation. The main crux of Shivaji’s tactics was speed, which led to Maratha Light Infantry instead of a heavy cavalry, and what is called ‘Ganimi Kawa’ in Marathi, which is often wrongly described as guerilla tactics. The basics of Ganimi Kawa involve putting oneself in the enemy’s shoes to check the weakest points in the supply chain and attack on the weakest links. This would then enable to main infantry to attack the centre of the enemy force. These tactics eveloved over time, starting with small skirmishes on the borders (like with Afzal Khan) that involved more of brain rather than battleforce, to building the cavalry force during Peshwas. Terming these tactics as guerilla puts them at par with the Talibans and other sundries.

Basically this symbol was used Indian warrior king named “Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj,” a member of the Bhonsle Maratha clan, for every fort he built.

This sculpture depicts a tiger-like beast (symbolyze Shivaji Maharaj) clasping elephants in its claws.
where as these 4 elephants symbolizes Shivaji’s major enemy dynesties on which he possess control – Adilshahi, Qutb Shahi, Mughalshahi &Nizamshahi

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