The horse (ashva in Sanskrit) has played a significant role in ancient Indian history, mythology, and culture. In the Rigveda, the horse is frequently mentioned as symbolizing power, speed, and prestige.
However, the earliest evidence of the domestication of the horse in India has long been a subject of scholarly deliberation. ‘No horse, no Aryans’, has become a favourite slogan of those who are strongly opposed to a Harappan-Vedic equation and make all possible efforts to deny the presence of this animal in the Harappan remains. The present volume focuses on this debate, which has significant implications for comprehending the evolution and growth of ancient civilizations in the subcontinent.
Skeletal remains resembling those of horses (genus Equus) have been found at several Harappan or Late Harappan sites, including Surkotada (Gujarat), Kalibangan, and Mohenjo-daro. Rupnagar (formerly known as Ropar) in Punjab and Kalibangan in Rajasthan have also yielded evidence of the presence of horses in the Harappan context. Significantly, many terracotta figurines from Harappan levels resemble horses. Spoked terracotta wheels have been found at Harappan sites of Rakhigarhi and Banawali. Also, the depiction of horses in Indian rock art challenges the traditional theory that horses were introduced to India by the Aryans around 1500 BC, and suggests much earlier domestication and use.
On the argument that the horse is not depicted on Harappan seals, it is fitting to cite (late) Prof B.B. Lal, “Why should we assume that the Harappans were out to produce a zoo on their seals? The animals depicted thereon may have had some specific function to perform…why do these people not doubt the presence of camels, when this animal is also absent from the seals?” Absence of evidence is surely no evidence of absence!
