Khurasanian war elephants

[Ade G]

I cannot find any solid information about the 9th Cent elephants used by Samanids. Would they be the same as Ghaznavids?

[Duncan Head]

David Nicolle's Military Technology of Classical Islam thesis would suggest that there is very little evidence but a resemblance to later Ghaznavid practice is possible:

Whereas those few elephants used in the 9th century by the Saffarids of eastern Iran seemed to provide transport for the siege train, those employed by the 'Abbäsid Caliphs themselves probably had a fighting role. According to al Khatib al Baghdädi, they carried a crew of eight Sindhi warriors and were covered by caparisons of brocade or silk. These elephants were not however protected by armour. Some were probably introduced into Egypt by the Tulünids, but for parade purposes only. One may assume that the handful of war-elephants in mid-10th century Buyid Persian forces, whose actual employment in battle was nowhere recorded, were ridden by Indian or Sindi warriors. Detailed descriptions of war-elephants were next given by Firdawsi in the late 10th or early 11th centuries. Such animals might therefore have been employed by the Samanids. If so, they were then armoured and carried archers in towers on their backs. Comparable war-elephants were certainly used by the following Ghaznawids, particularly in the 11th century by which time this dynasty had, for the first time, brought large areas of Hindu northern India under Muslim rule. Such Ghaznawid war-elephants, again presumably ridden by Hindis or Sindis, were heavily armoured and carried four mailed warriors on their backs.

[Ade G]

David Nicolle's Military Technology of Classical Islam thesis would suggest that there is very little evidence but a resemblance to later Ghaznavid practice is possible:

Whereas those few elephants used in the 9th century by the Saffarids of eastern Iran seemed to provide transport for the siege train, those employed by the 'Abbäsid Caliphs themselves probably had a fighting role. According to al Khatib al Baghdädi, they carried a crew of eight Sindhi warriors and were covered by caparisons of brocade or silk. These elephants were not however protected by armour. Some were probably introduced into Egypt by the Tulünids, but for parade purposes only. One may assume that the handful of war-elephants in mid-10th century Buyid Persian forces, whose actual employment in battle was nowhere recorded, were ridden by Indian or Sindi warriors. Detailed descriptions of war-elephants were next given by Firdawsi in the late 10th or early 11th centuries. Such animals might therefore have been employed by the Samanids. If so, they were then armoured and carried archers in towers on their backs. Comparable war-elephants were certainly used by the following Ghaznawids, particularly in the 11th century by which time this dynasty had, for the first time, brought large areas of Hindu northern India under Muslim rule. Such Ghaznawid war-elephants, again presumably ridden by Hindis or Sindis, were heavily armoured and carried four mailed warriors on their backs.

Thank you Duncan - I can use a nice pretty model then