ELEPHANTS 289 



Africa, or for mere amusement, as in Ceylon, is here 

 unknown. 



Like some other things and institutions, the position 

 of the elephant has declined under our rule. He no 

 longer, gorgeously caparisoned, adds to the splendour 

 of the court ceremonials, or carries kings and chiefs 

 in battle, or himself forms an effective portion of the 

 armies. He is certainly still used in warfare, but it 

 is in little more than in the capacity of a drudge : he 

 mostly only draws the heavy cannon and carries on his 

 back the tents and baggage. 



Under the early Mahomedan emperors, indeed till up 

 to the end of our fourteenth century, the elephants were 

 regarded as the most important and formidable part of 

 the Indian armies, and that not only by the emperors 

 themselves, but also by their foreign invaders. Timour 

 entered India in the year 1398 of our era. He swept 

 through the Punjaub without meeting hardly any serious 

 opposition ; his Mogul troops excited such terror that 

 the Indians fled at their approach. But on reaching 

 Delhi the conditions were changed. The Moguls would 

 here have to encounter not merely the army of the 

 Emperor, but also his elephants. The army of the 

 Emperor they despised, but the thought of encountering 

 these gigantic creatures filled them with apprehension. 

 Their apprehensions were so great that the literary 

 men who accompanied Timour and all the other non- 

 combatants were placed in the rear among the women. 

 Entrenchments were thrown up, and other preparations 

 made, and then with much anxiety they awaited the 

 Emperor's attack. 

 U 



