5 Animals of War

Elephants were used in warfare in South Asia as far back as the 1st millennium BC, and were known to be protected with armors from the 11th century AD. A huge 17th-century elephant armor stands today at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds, England. It is the largest animal armor known to be on display in a public collection worldwide.

The materials in armors put on elephants varied from padded fabric and leather to metallic mail and plates. The huge mammals participated in combat until the 19th century.

The powerful creatures could carry crews of armed soldiers on their backs, away from foot warriors. The mahout, or driver, could steer the animal with a goad.

But elephants were more than mobile war platforms. When properly trained, they became devastating weapons. Using their incomparable strength, elephants could fight against humans and horses, trampling on the enemies or lifting and throwing them away with their trunks.

Moreover, they were usually equipped with specially-forged tusks swords, sturdy metal weapons that would become lethal with a charging elephant behind them. Reinforced sockets were fitted in the previously shortened tusks and securely strapped. It is believed that the reinforced blades could pierce through almost anything that came their way on the battlefield.

It is not known who crafted the armor at display in the Royal Armouries Museum. Its structure of mail and plates was widely used in Muslim states in North and Central India. Still, the motifs of peacocks and lotus blooms suggest it may have been forged in a Hindu area.

It is also believed that the armor relates to southern India, as it was acquired by the wife of the Governor of Madras, Lady Henrietta Clive, between 1798 and 1801. She then brought it back to Britain.

The colossal armor is a reminder of the sheer power of elephants used in battles and still leaves spectators from all over the world in utter awe.

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