The Hastividyārnava, written by Sukumar Barkaith, is one of the best known illustrated manuscripts of
Assam
Assam (; ) is a state in northeastern India, south of the eastern Himalayas along the Brahmaputra and Barak River valleys. Assam covers an area of . The state is bordered by Bhutan and Arunachal Pradesh to the north; Nagaland and Manipur ...
. Commissioned under the patronage of King
Siva Singha
Sutanphaa also Siva Singha was a king of Assam who reigned from 1714 to 1744 A.D. He was the eldest son of Rudra Singha. Siva Singha was with his dying father at Guwahati, who then proceeded to the capital Rangpur where he ascended to the th ...
(1714-1744 C.E.) and his queen consort
Ambika
Ambika may refer to:
Mythology
* Ambika (goddess), an avatar of the Hindu goddesses Durga, Parvati, and Shakti
* Ambika (Jainism), a Jain Yakshini goddess
* Ambika (Mahabharata), the wife of Vichitravirya was also the mother of Dhritarashtra, ...
, it deals with the management and care of
elephants in the royal stables.
[Barkaith, S. (1734). ''Hastividyarnava.'' Edited with an introduction by P.C. Choudhury. Guwahati: Publication Board, Assam.]
The Hastividyārnava is a work that arose in a matrix of disciplined study, prolonged observation and a precedent tradition. The commission of such a treatise was perhaps considered important as the elephant played an important role in affirming the idea of monarchy and exercising state power.
[Barua, M. (2005). The Elephant in Assamese History and Mythology. Kaziranga National Park Centenary Celebration Volume P. 34-39. Forest Department of Assam, Govt. of Assam.]
Contents
The treatise itself was written for a ruling monarch, and almost entirely from the view of sustaining
monarchy
A monarchy is a government#Forms, form of government in which a person, the monarch, is head of state for life or until abdication. The legitimacy (political)#monarchy, political legitimacy and authority of the monarch may vary from restric ...
– which elephants are suitable for the kingdom, how they should be trained for use by the nobility and for the purpose of war. The ''Hastividyārnava'' has an elaborate taxonomic system describing the various types of elephants and their character, and it was perhaps considered important for a king to have knowledge regarding elephants, as it is mentioned that only the learned king recognizes particular
breeds.
Artists
The two artists ''Dilbar'' and ''Dosai'' who painted the manuscript were probably not very familiar with the landscape of Assam and hence the quality of the landscapes are not of a very high standard.
Current location and status
The manuscript is currently housed in the Department of Historical and Antiquarian Studies (DHAS) in Guwahati, Assam. The ''Hastividyarnava'' should not be confused with the ''Hati-Puthi'' of ''Auniati Sattra'' (Majuli), which is a much later work (possibly of the early 19th century).
References
Culture of Assam
Illuminated manuscripts
Elephants in Indian culture
Indian manuscripts
18th-century manuscripts
Elephantology in India
{{india-culture-stub