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ELEPHANT MEDICINE, EQUINE & BOVINE MEDICINE - THE ANCIENT INDIAN EXPERTISE
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Elephant Medicine or Gaja Ayurveda
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Palakapya, an ultimate authority on elephant medicine belonged to the Rigvedic period 2000–4000 BC. The Gautam Samhita, the Ashva Ayurveda, and Hastya Ayurveda are the only treatises on animal science till now. Palakapya wrote Hastya Ayurveda or Gaja Ayurveda dealing with elephant medicine and dedicated to Lord Ganesha. Elephant medicine and surgery were divided into four parts by Palakapya, viz., Maha Rogsthan or major diseases, Ksudra Rogasthan or minor diseases, Salyasthan or surgery, and materia medica-diet and hygiene. He classified various ailments of elephants into: Adhyatmika (physical) and Agantuka (accidental or incidental); physical classes of ailments were called Manasa (caused by mental diseases) and Dosaja [caused by disorder of bodily humors – vata (air), pitta (bile), and kapha (phlegm)]. Hastya Ayurveda also mentions about anatomy of elephant, treatment of different kinds of diseases, training of elephant, and also classification of elephants on the basis of a number of characteristics.
Equine Medicine or Haya Ayurveda
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There is no legend of horses in the seal of Mohanjo-daro, Harappa, Kalibangan and in Indus Valley culture. Amongst 18 gems recovered in Samudramanthan by gods and demons, the horse named Ucchasrava was possibly the first known horse of puranik (ancient) India. The Aryans introduced horses for rapid transportation. Pack, riding, chariot, war, race, and even plowing horses were frequently mentioned in the Vedic age (1500–1000 BC). The Aryans took advantage of the trained horses to march into the fertile land of Iran and Mesopotamia. The Aryan chariot (ratha) is depicted at Sanchi. In the later Vedic period (1000–600 BC), Buddhist period (600 BC), and Mauryan period (400 BC), the use of horses was well documented. In the Mauryan age (322–232 BC), equine husbandry made tremendous progress and these were used for riding and for war.
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The royal horses were under the charge of a superintendent of horses (Asva adhyakacha), who used to register the breed, age, color, and place of origin. Detailed accounts of housing and feeding of horses were mentioned in Arthashastra. Veterinary doctors and horse trainers were assigned free endowment. In the Gupta dynasty (300–550 AD), horses were given more importance than elephants in Samudragupta’s army because of their speed and easy maneuvrability. He also performed Ashvamedha yagna to proclaim his imperial power and issued a gold coin depicting a horse. Skandagupta (455–467 AD) was shattered by Huns, who were expert horse riders. The Kannauj empire (606–647 AD) has also been mentioned to use saddled horses in warfare.
Bovine Husbandry , Health Care and Medicine
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Cows were regarded as wealth and were the backbone of the economy of ancient Indians, i.e., Aryans. Wars were fought for acquiring cows. Cattle were one of the most frequently used animals described in Vedas. Cows were regarded as mother (“Gau-mata”) and referred to as Aghanya. Prayers were offered to Agni (God of Fire) to kill with his flame all those evil dwellers, who stole milk of cows. Those demons may not get the nectar (milk of cows). Voluminous treatises are also available on cows, e.g., ‘Gau Ayurveda’. During Pauranik period, cow (Kamdhenu) emerged out of Samudra manthan, was considered so valuable that devatas fought with demons and acquired them.
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Mantras in Vedas (Shala Nirman and Goshth Suktas of Atharvaveda) describe that the animal houses (Goshth) and their management were of good quality. Pashu Samvardhan Sukta of Atharvaveda indicates that Vrihaspati Deva knew the animal behavior and management well. Cows were high milk-yielders and were milked thrice a day by women (Duhitras). They knew the animal feeding practices and fed them with dry hay and green fodder. The herb arundhati (a climber, not identified) not only treated several disease conditions but also increased milk yield in cows. Prayers were offered to Aditi Deva to discover medicines for health improvement of humans and calves. It shows that Aditi was one of the researchers of medicine. Treatment of weak, infertile, and unproductive cows for making them productive was well described. Castration of males by crushing the testicles between two stones was also practiced.
Cow prosperity and protection
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Cow worship, cow keeping, and cow protection were the three stages through which the prosperity of the mother cow occurred from time to time. Beef eating in ancient India has been a controversial subject. Due to availability of natural facilities of breeding, feeding, and grazing, cattle flourished in the ancient times. Cow prosperity started declining with increasing human population and socioeconomic conflict. In case of buffalo, it is the utility of the buffalo that has increased its prospects.
Legends of cow-bulls in coins of ancient India
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In ancient India, cow was addressed as “Gau-mata” or mother cow. Rulers from 600 BC used to inscribe pictures of bulls (rarely cows) on coins, which show their importance and utility. Round coins (occasionally rectangular or square) weighing 5–7 g made up of copper, silver, lead, or gold were used as currency. The best and rare inscription of cow was seen in the coins of King Anshu Verma, ruler of ancient republic of Lichavvi (Nepal). Inscriptions of standing right facing (rarely left facing) humped bulls are seen on the coins of punch-mark, Airan, Audumbar, Ayodhya, Kaushambi, Saatvahan, Ujjaini, Chatrapa, Yaudhey, Krishnaraj (Kalchuri), etc.
Buffalo
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Reference of buffaloes in the form of a furious demon, Mahishasur and docile beast, the ride of death God Yamraj has been made in the prehistoric ancient Indian literature. Taming and domestication of buffalo has been mentioned during the epic era of Ramayana and Mahabharata and true domestication during the Indus Valley civilization. Several types of buffaloes have been described in different parts. The Indian subcontinent is the richest habitat of riverine buffaloes (dairy) whereas East and Southeast Asian countries are dominated by draft type swamp buffaloes. In South India buffaloes were used for plowing lands after which they wallow in the pond to reduce tiredness. Buffalo keeping was a symbol of prosperity in Southern India.
Goat
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Goats and sheep were first domesticated near Iraq and United Arab Emirates 8700 years ago, much earlier than the advent of agriculture. People who belong to Chalcolithic age were found in the Indian states of Madhya Pradesh, Maharastra, and Rajasthan and they reared goats and other animals. Goats were domesticated earlier, and served mankind for longer period for their milk and other products.
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During Pre-Harappan period, wild ancestors of goats were found in barren hills of Baluchistan and Western Sindh. Gaddi goats resembling the ancestral wild goats are still used for carrying goods in the higher Himalayan region of India. The greatest artistic creations of Harappan culture are seals resembling goats, which greatly supported the animal husbandry in Indus Valley civilization. Goats serve mankind providing meat, milk, fiber and therefore, appropriately called poor man’s cow.
Sheep
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Sheep was domesticated about 8700 BC. The original center of domestication was the Aralo-Caspian steppe and Turkestan. From there, sheep keeping spread early into Iran and later into Mesopotamia and Baluchistan. The sheep kept in India, Tibet, and other countries of East and South Asia were of western derivation and basically of Urial stock.
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In India, sheep keeping was practiced evidently from Pre-Harappan period through to Mauryan Age. The dominant form of sheep rearing still remained of nomadic nature. Domestication of sheep, besides ensuring a permanent meat supply, also improved the supply of skin, hair (wool), fat, and bones. Although these animal by-products are available from other sources, production of wool, however, remained a monopoly of the sheep. Sheep rearing is an exclusive occupation of a class of herders traditionally marked out as a pastoral caste.
Fowl
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People of the Indus Valley civilization were quite familiar with domesticated fowl. In the seals of the Indus Valley, two Sonarati red cocks with fighting gesture were identified. At the same place, small pieces of earthen hen toys were recovered. One of these birds, which was adjoining to feed pot, was considered as hen. This indicates that captive breeding of birds was practiced during those days.
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Domestic fowl was also found in Harrappa. From this place, two earthen birds (one male and the other female) were recovered. From Kanhudaro also, small-sized figures of birds belonging to the family of domestic fowl were recovered. Possibly these were the images of quails. It is accepted that Indus Valley people kept birds for games and breeding for meat, possibly started afterwards. When Aryans invaded India around 2500 BC, they appreciated cocks.
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Cock is mentioned in Atharvaveda and Yajurveda, but not in Rigveda. During 1000 BC, eating hen meat was prohibited, possibly for religious reasons. The study of Northwest Indian coins indicates that cocks were favored. During 310 BC, Softitus, a Prince of Punjab presented a few silver coins to Alexander, which had legends of cocks along with spur. Satyamitra (100–200 AD) engraved fowl on coins with palm leaves. During this period, India had trade with Western Asia, Arabia, and Egypt through sea and land route, which was instrumental in the dissemination of red jungle fowl throughout the world.
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