Hi all, I am trying to get a copy of KaviriMainthan?I would be greatful if some one can give me the puiblication so that i can try and get it .I have tried it in some book stores I am not able to find it.
I would also like to know Publishers of all Sandilyan;s and Akilans (only book i managed to locate was Vengyin Mainthan)books too and where do i get all those.
Its always been in the back of my mind while reading PS - about arulmozhi being well versed in the art of elephant rearing ( yaanai paaga - vanadhi episode)..you also write about his prowess in the madurai/vaigai showdown with the rogue elephant.. this is the first time i have heard of a prince being thought this kalai. Did you come up with any evidence for this during your research/find anything in kalki's research or did you just follow kalki's version.
Incidentally, we do find mention of the elephant corps all over the indian ruling clan - from alexander to the chinese versions
Chinese traveller and chronicler Chau Ju-kua, who travelled in the Chola country c 1178 gives the following account of the Chola army:
This [Chola] country is at war with the kingdom of the [west] of India. The government owns sixty thousand war elephants, every one seven or eight feet high. When fighting these elephants carry on their backs houses, and these houses are full of soldiers who shoot arrows at long range, and fight with spears at close quarters.
An elephant eats approx 140 - 270 kilos of solid food and approx 50 gallons of water a day ....must have been a logistical nightmare to keep the supplies running.
I just followed kalki. a sequel should remind the reader in a subtel wayy of the first book.
but then elephants have been woven as a tepestry with our royaly. an ordinary man became the king of pudukottai because he tamed an elephant that went rougish in the ramnad sethupathy's parade. the irony was pudukottai became a 11 gun salute kingdom but ramnad always remained a zamin.
sps sir loaned me couple of books - one of which was Sri SRB's Kopperunchingan...i was just starting to flip through a few pages when he lists the chronology of the kaadava kings...one of the titles of the forefathers of kopperunchingan was - `one who could tame a rogue elephant', hv not got to the exact tamil name for this in the book though....