DBA Armies

III/10 HINDU INDIAN 545 AD - 1510 AD

This list covers the Hindu (and a few Buddhist) states of northern and central India from the fall of the Gupta empire until the introduction of hand firearms. The Guptas were replaced by a number of small states, reunified from 606 by Harsha into the Kanauj empire. This fell apart after his death in 647; to be replaced by the Pratihara empire, which reduced Arab India to 2 small remnant states and lasted until 1036. Its rivals and successors included the Rashtrakutas, Palas and Vijayanagar. These were all attacked by a new wave of Turkish Muslim invaders that in 1206 became the Sultanate of Delhi and conquered all of them except the southern state of Vijayanagar. The Rajputs were a warrior caste, thought by some to be descended from Saka or Huna (Hephthalites), who ruled states in central and western India and fought both against and for the Sultanate. They had a strong heroic ethos and ended lost battles with a suicidal charge instead of surrender and wore yellow as a badge of fanaticism. Elephants were described as armoured and carrying howdahs containing several crew. Cavalry were armed with lance or bow, sword and shield, were armoured and sometimes rode barded horses. Some Rajput horses were trained to rear up, so that their riders could fight elephant crew from a similar height. Foot were unarmoured and skimpily dressed. Swordsmen had either a rectangular or a small round shield. References: Armies of the Middle Ages Vol.2 1. Heath, Slingshot 248.

III/10b — Rajput Army 747 AD - 1303 AD

List: 1 x General on elephant (El) or on horseback (3Kn), 2 x cavalry (3Kn), 1 x elephants (EI) or cavalry (3Kn), 2 x swordsmen (3Bd), 3 x archers (3Bw), 1 x camel riders (Cm) or archers (3Bw), 1 x javelinmen (Ps), 1 x javelinmen (Ps) or camp followers (7Hd)
Terrain: Dry, Tropical
Aggression: 2
Enemies:
Allies: III/10c

III/10c — Other Hindu Indian Armies 545 AD - 1510 AD

List: 1 x General (El), 1 x elephants (El), 2 x cavalry (Cv), 1 x swordsmen (3Bd), 4 x archers (3Bw), 1 x javelinmen (Ps), 1 x javelinmen (Ps) or camp followers (7Hd), 1 x elephants (El) or (if Vijayanagar after 1336) rocketeers or bombards (Art)
Terrain: Tropical
Aggression: 2
Enemies:
Allies: II/42b or II/80c or III/10b or III/15 or IV/36a or III/38