Pre-modern Warfare:India And Elsewhere

[Hauma Hamiddha]

<b>The use of the Noose in the Hindu warfare</b>
The ancient hindus like Altaic tribes of central Asia used the noose or the pAsha with great proficiency. I shall provide below a brief description of the use of the noose as provided by the agni-dhanurveda

-The noose should be 10 cubits in length and round and held by the hand.
-It is made from karpasa (cotton), mu~nja (a grass fiber), hemp, sunflower fibers or hide.
-30 units of fiber are twined together to make the noose rope.
-It is gathered with the left hand and with the right hand. After having made a lasso it should be whirled around the head and thrown quickly.
-It is useful to bring down people with good armour and well-armed. It is typically deployed by a horse borne or chariot borne attacker on other cavalry warrior.
-Once the foe is brought down, he may clubbed to death with a rod.

-The acharya must teach the user the noose by placing targets on horseback.

Amongst the devas the noose was the weapon of varuNa and yama. Though by the paurANic period it was most commonly used by most deities.