Pre-modern Warfare:India And Elsewhere

[Hauma Hamiddha]

As Ramana mentions there are quite a few inscriptions of vIra mR^ityu by suicide. Such suicide is not abundantly mentioned in the early Tamil sources (at least per my understanding), but there are a couple of clear cases. It is also mentioned a few times in Sanskrit literature, especially as an act that can confer svarga if done under a holy tree in certain places. It does find mention in the hammira mahAkAvya describing hammIra-deva Chahamana. The 28 year old scholar-king (he had written a work on Hindu medicine) lead the final attack on Alla-ad-din Khalji during the battle of Ranthambhor. It is said that he was surrounded by turuShka-s and finally ran out of arrows when he beheaded himself as an offering to rudra rather than fall into Muhammadan hands. Other accounts say he was killed in course of the fierce sword fight in close quarters with the Moslems.