IV.
The War Elephants
1 - The Harnessing
Harnessed War Elephant for the Commemoration Day of Quang-Trung NGUYỄN-Huệ Emperor
doing battle with Mandchus in the Year of 1789
(celebrated feast on August 2008 in Bình-Định).
(Photo Credit : Quỳnh Hoa & Hoài Thu)
The Martial Proboscidestrian Art study request a Harnessing compatible with the use of War Elephant on battlefields. This Harnessing comprises always two essential parts : 1 - The Battle Gondola ; 2 - The Elephant Bridle.
A - The Part concerning the Battle Gondola ( Chiến-Bành 戰 彭 ) or Howdah (हौदा) :
The « Battle Gondola » comprises all a System of Dorsal Fixation holding
- the « Seat » constituting the Gondola ;
- the « Pectoral Strap » fastening the Gondola at the elephant's chest. That is the a Strap passing via the elephant's chest for preventing the Battle Gondola from being slipped into backwards during the climb up a slope ;
- the « Croup Piece » fastening the Gondola at the roof of the elephant tail for preventing the Gondola from being slipped into forwards ;
- the « Ventral Straps » fastening the Gondola at the back of the elephant tail for preventing the Gondola from being toppled over the side ;
- the well-padded « Upper-Gondolapad » for protecting the elephant's back ;
- the long and large thick « Lower-Gondolapad » for protecting the elephant flanks.
In addition, the « Battle Gondola » is of two categories :
1 - The one holding a Roof for prevening from parabolic archery's shooting or projectiles launching ;
2 - The one devoid of Roof for facilitating the Pole-arms wielding and the javelins or projectiles.throwing.
Harnessing of War Elephant under |
Harnessing of War Elephants under |
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Harnessing of War Elephants in guard forwards the Imperial City's Southern Door
in Huế Capital, under Khải-Định Emperor (1885-1925)
from NGUYỄN Dynasty (1802-1945).
Harnassed Elephants for the Commemoration Day of Sisters TRƯNG (40 - 43 J.C.)
fighting HAN's Army (40 - 43 AD) - celebrated
on
March 7th 1957 in SaiGon.
Harnessed War Elephants of Hannibal Generalissimo
in the Battle of Zama
(-202 B.C.) against Roman Empire.
- Painting by Henri-Paul Motte (1846-1922) -
Procession of the Emperor Bahadur Shah to celebrate the feast of the Imperial Delhi in 1843.
Royal Elephant at the Gateway to the Jami Masjid, Mathura, in 1895.
B - The Part concerning the Elephant Bridle ( Tượng-Lặc 象 絡 ) :
War Elephants are also equipped with « Bridle » like War Horses but don't owning neither « Reins » nor « Bit ». And their « Bridle » comprises only four elements :
01.« The Headstall connector » ;
02.« The Cheekpiece » ;
03. « The Throatlash » ;
04. « The Headstall ».
Thus, these elements of the Elephant Bridle mentioned previously are using rather for the decoration, because the Cornac use a Goad holding a Hook (called "Ankus" or well "Gusbar" by Hindus) for steering War Elephant.
Goad holding a Hook |
Goad holding a Hook |
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War Elephants of NGUYỄN Dynasty (1802-1945). |
War Elephants of NGUYỄN Dynasty (1802-1945). |
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In addition, War Elephants are more often than not equipped with « Chanfron ».
War Elephant Citranand, equipped with Chanfron,
attacking another, called Udiya, during the Mughal campaign
against the rebel forces of Zaman Khan and Bahadur Khan in 1567.
(Mughal Painting - India)
.
Decorated Elephant with Chanfron for Parade at the Annual Festival of Siva Temple at Cochin. |
War Elephant equipped with decorated Chanfron. |
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(To be continued...)
Bình-Định SA-LONG-CƯƠNG TRỊNH Quang Thắng |
Bibliography :
«Đại-Nam Register of Traditions and Facts Compendium established by Imperial Order » (Khâm Định Đại Nam Hội Điển Sự Lệ) from ”Institut of the Nation History" (Quốc-Sử Quán) - book numbered 175, Ed.1856-1884.
« Comments from a LiIbrary » ("Vân Ðài Loại-Ngữ") from Lê-Quí-Ðôn, ED. 1773.
« Complete Book of Việt History » ("Việt-Sử Toàn-Thư") from Phạm-Văn-Sơn.
« Famous Generalissimos of Việt-Nam » ("Danh-Tướng Việt-Nam"), from Nguyễn-Khắc-Thuần, Ed.of Education, Ho-Chi-Minh City, 2001.
« Việt-Nam - Old Pictures » ("Việt-Nam - Những Hình-Ảnh Xưa") from Nguyễn-Khắc-Ngữ, Ed. of Research on History and Geography, Montreal 1986.
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