LESLIE
HAMILTON
SHIRLAW
29
which are of a very extraordinary appearance
There is also a species
of small oxen called gaynee, which are well limbed and very beautiful'.
Modern Indian horses are of many breeds ; but Lydekker maintains
that the so-called ' country-bred ' is almost certainly a descent of the Siwalik
fossil horse. It is possible that the Aryans were the first to domesticate this
animal in India. It appears certain that it was only known in its wild state
to the Dravidians. The Rig Vedic invaders, however, were quick to find
and utilize existing breeding grounds and their earliest writings describe the
regions about the rivers Sindhu and Sarasvati as famous for horses ; they also
speak of horses of Bahlika (Balkh). Selective breeding was, also, evidently
practised. In the Yajurvedas, a race horse is addressed as ' mighty through
thy dam, eminent through thy sire'. The Epics tell of horses introduced
from Tartary and the Kalmuc country, but also mention local varieties from
Sind, Kambooha on the North West Frontier and Panchala in the Upper
Ganges valley. Bala describes the countries of Kamvoja, Vahlika, Vanayu,
Gandhara and Pragyotisapura as producing fine horses. The Arthaśastra
says that the best horses came from Kamboja (Afghanistan), Sindhu (Sind),
Aratta (Punjab), and Vanayu (Arabia) ; the second best from Balika (Balkh),
Sauvira (Guzrat), Papeye and Taitala : while inferior horses came from several
other parts of the country. Huien T'sang writes of horses of ' the dragon
stock ' in Kashmir, of ' fine horses of small size from Chitral' and of Bhotiya
ponies imported into India from north of Garhwal. Marco Polo supplies
the information that ' since no horses were bred ' in Malabar, it was necessary
to send to Arabia for them.
Nevertheless, to quote the Ayeen Akbari, ' There are fine horses bred in
every part of the Empire, but those of Ketch excel, being equal to Arabs ...
In the Punjab are bred horses resembling Irakies, especially in that part which
lies between the rivers Sind and Behet ... The following places likewise
produce good horses : Putty Hibetpoor, Bejwareh, Rehareh, Agra, Mewar,
and the subah of Ajmer ; and in the mountains of Hindostan are a hardy breed
of small horses called gowt; and on the confines of Bengal, near the province
of Kotch, is a horse betwixt a tourky and a gowt, called tanghian, which is
very hardy
' In the Ghora Nidan are mentioned Tatuk (Bhutan ponies)
and Turuki (Turki ponies). The Fankht Vaalaj Aspan says that Arab horses
are the best, then those of Multan and Persia.
The Indian elephant is peculiar to this country and is probably des
cended from the Siwalik species (E. hysndricus) (Lydekker). Bala states
that the best and strongest elephants came from the Vindhya regions, but
adds that good animals could be obtained from all the eastern countries
and from various localities of the west and south. According to the Artha
śastra, the best quality elephants were captured in the eastern portion of the
district of Shahabad in Behar and also in Kalinga, Anga and Pranchya ;
medium quality animals came from the west (Konkan and Malabar) ; while
Surastra (Gujrat) and Panchajana (Northern India) produced inferior varie
ties. The Ayeen Akbari describes them as being ' taken in the following
places ; in Agra, in the wilds of Begavan, and Nerwar, as far as Berar ; in the
subah of Allahabad near Ruttenpur ; Sirgetchch ; the subah of Malwa ; Hatten¬
deyah ; Achowd ; Chundary ; Suntwass ; Bijegurh ; Roysan ; Hosengabad ;
E