Female Indian Archers

[Shajarr ad-Durr]

Roman Total War: Alexander has a lovely unit of female archers. So I'm curious...is there any historical evidence of female Indian archers????????? Never heard of them!

Sorry if this wasn't the right forum to ask this question

[Wegen7 die Große]

I would assume yes, in times of need most non civilised country's would use every persons(men, woman and sometimes children) they could to keep there barbaric country alive.

[Plant]

I would assume yes, in times of need most non civilised country's would use every persons(men, woman and sometimes children) they could to keep there barbaric country alive.

Like Isreal?

Like Carthage? Who had to use every man, women and child to make sure the "civilised" Romans would not murder, rape, burn and sell off to slavery said every man, women and child, which happened to every man, woman and child.

Like the ancient steppe people who would use women in warfare?

Like the UK during WW2, who conscripted women? And quite possibly depending on your defenition of children, the current recruiting of children 16 years old into the British army (they can't even vote).

I think that if you think outside your self imposed constraint of "barbarianism" most countries are quite willing to use their women and children to make sure they keep their country alive. Also inherent in your assumption is that Indians are somehow barbarians. Despite, you know, the Indus Valley being one of the birth places of civilisation.

[hool]

to occupy the moral high ground, lets you fall deep

[Ishan]

Roman Total War: Alexander has a lovely unit of female archers. So I'm curious...is there any historical evidence of female Indian archers????????? Never heard of them!

Sorry if this wasn't the right forum to ask this question

In Ancient, Medieval India there was no such thing, women only kshatriyas(warrior caste) were trained from birth but they were not meant for battle it was something that was taught for self defence only, as in females weren't used as a unit for some army.

I would assume yes, in times of need most non civilised country's would use every persons(men, woman and sometimes children) they could to keep there barbaric country alive.

Who told you that Indians were barbaric and were uncivilized?
Sanskrit being the oldest & mother of all languages was given birth by Indians.
Indians gave the definition of civilization during BCs like many others. Ashoka the great the Mauryan King had a vast empire:-

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Romans paid tribute so that they can trade in the silk road. Spices, jewels etc.

Samrat Ashoka's grandfather Chandragupta Mauraya defeated the Greeks lead by Seleucus I Nicator under Alexander on many occasions.
Seleucus gave his daughter in marriage to Chandragupta, and received in return five hundred elephants. If we were barbaric and uncivilized then i doubt that the Greeks would have ended there campaign in India and made an alliance with Chandragupta.
^Source.

On a general level about barbarism & uncivilized behavior it still exists on earth not just India.

[Wegen7 die Große]

Who told you that Indians were barbaric and were uncivilized?
Sanskrit being the oldest & mother of all languages was given birth by Indians.
Indians gave the definition of civilization during BCs like many others. Ashoka the great the Mauryan King had a vast empire:-

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

The Romans paid tribute so that they can trade in the silk road. Spices, jewels etc.

Samrat Ashoka's grandfather Chandragupta Mauraya defeated the Greeks lead by Seleucus I Nicator under Alexander on many occasions.
Seleucus gave his daughter in marriage to Chandragupta, and received in return five hundred elephants. If we were barbaric and uncivilized then i doubt that the Greeks would have ended there campaign in India and made an alliance with Chandragupta.
^Source.

On a general level about barbarism & uncivilized behavior it still exists on earth not just India.

Wow I posted that all the way back in bloody august. Anyway sorry if I offended you, I cannot even remember posting.

[Brusilov]

Well, if they are a unit in a TW game they could be histoically accurate or one of the developer's personal fantasies.....

The vanilla TW games are on,ly in an 'historic setting' and are not 'historically accurate'. That's partly why some mods were created.

[Genius of the Restoration]

I'm sure they've existed. Whether or not they've been in great numbers or whole units of only women is another thing though. From page one of a google books search:

http://books.google.com.au/books?id=...0india&f=false

Might be a bit after Alexander, but I'm sure they were around in some form or another.

[Delta21]

I'm sure that they existed in most cultures. Ofc they wouldn't co on campaigns and such and march around with the regular men army(or else they'd get raped, lul) but I'm pretty sure that as a defence force they were always an option for recruitment(with appropriate planning/training facilities/temples). It doesn't take much of a cultural background to make an army of men...but I think it does in the case of women.

[|Sith| Max]

Why is it so barbaric? Let us remember that the term was used to refer to people from other cultures by the greeks and the romans. I for one think Women signing up for military service is a good thing for the emancipation. There's no reason women cant pull triggers, drive tanks and fly choppers in my mind. i don't quite understand why i never see female soldiers on the news.

[Hopit]

Why is it so barbaric? Let us remember that the term was used to refer to people from other cultures by the greeks and the romans. I for one think Women signing up for military service is a good thing for the emancipation. There's no reason women cant pull triggers, drive tanks and fly choppers in my mind. i don't quite understand why i never see female soldiers on the news.

I wanted to say that

[shikaka]

Why is it so barbaric? Let us remember that the term was used to refer to people from other cultures by the greeks and the romans. I for one think Women signing up for military service is a good thing for the emancipation. There's no reason women cant pull triggers, drive tanks and fly choppers in my mind. i don't quite understand why i never see female soldiers on the news.

OK, I am not commenting on the barbaric route of the conversation, but there is a reason.

They can drive tanks and fly choppers. BUT israel proved that using women as infantry is counter productive. It is NOT that there is any problem with women's abilities.
It is the impact they have on the male members on the squad. It seems - according to israeli battlefield experience - that no matter how pro a male soldier is, a kind of subconscious thing forces him to defend the females first, and only think of their objectives as second.
Therefore you get less reliable and more wounded males when women are present compared to when they are not there.

Like Carthage? Who had to use every man, women and child to make sure the "civilised" Romans would not murder, rape, burn and sell off to slavery said every man, women and child, which happened to every man, woman and child.

Like the ancient steppe people who would use women in warfare?

Like the UK during WW2, who conscripted women? And quite possibly depending on your defenition of children, the current recruiting of children 16 years old into the British army (they can't even vote).

I think that if you think outside your self imposed constraint of "barbarianism" most countries are quite willing to use their women and children to make sure they keep their country alive. Also inherent in your assumption is that Indians are somehow barbarians. Despite, you know, the Indus Valley being one of the birth places of civilisation.

I concur with your opinion on the barbarism/civilised in general. That is very important!


However the reasoning to back this opinion up with the roman murder/rape/torch/slavery is not fair.

Back then it was a method of warfare, actually - except for slavery - it still is.
The Romans/Carthaginians/Aztecs/Greeks/etc cannot be blamed for not implementing 20th century human rights, therfore using this as an arguement (XY nation had slavery how can you call him civilised, etc.) is unfair.

[Plant]

However the reasoning to back this opinion up with the roman murder/rape/torch/slavery is not fair.

Back then it was a method of warfare, actually - except for slavery - it still is.
The Romans/Carthaginians/Aztecs/Greeks/etc cannot be blamed for not implementing 20th century human rights, therfore using this as an arguement (XY nation had slavery how can you call him civilised, etc.) is unfair.

What are you talking about? Did I pass judgement on what was civilised? Where have I said a country wasn't "civilised"? I only made comparisons between those countires which used women and children and how it relates to that poster's bizarre concept of "barbarianism" and "non-civilized".

Though now that you are talking about it, how would it be unfair?
Murder, rape and slavery is still just as unpleasant no matter the time period it was. People in the past are still real people. Just because none are in living memory now, doesn't mean that what suffering they may have experienced was any less valid. By the victim's standards, anything they suffer would be rather unfair to them.

[shikaka]

Though now that you are talking about it, how would it be unfair?
Murder, rape and slavery is still just as unpleasant no matter the time period it was. People in the past are still real people. Just because none are in living memory now, doesn't mean that what suffering they may have experienced was any less valid. By the victim's standards, anything they suffer would be rather unfair to them.

It is brutal, yes. But pillaging and weakening the enemy was a way of warfare.

Back then, a military campaign could remove a whole country from existence. (Vandals for example or ostrogoths) They did anything to prevent this, yes even pillaging/enslaving/turture. Romans had their share of this when they were on the losing end.

[Genius of the Restoration]

Well said Plant

[Legio]

Two things to remember when necroing a thread-
~Keep it on topic
~Don't make it spam and borderline racist

Any further posts of an off topic nature will be deleted, the user punished, and the thread closed.

[cenkiss]

Many steppe people had women in their regular armies alongside men.And they could use bow and sword as easy as men.

[Geordie-warlord]

You also have to think that if a woman is injured the men would want to help her especially if they have a crush on her, that's another thing relationships you can't have them in a combat zone.
Then you have the problem if a woman is captured, rape is a torture method and so is getting her pregnant.

Women should only be used for logistical purposes or a last stand scenario.

[Genius of the Restoration]

You also have to think that if a woman is injured the men would want to help her especially if they have a crush on her

Homosexuality has always been present in the military. What's to stop men wanting to help those they have a crush on?

Then you have the problem if a woman is captured, rape is a torture method and so is getting her pregnant.

Men can get raped too. So the difference is that women could get pregnant if they were captured and raped? I'm not sure the risk of a woman pregnant (rape aside, as this is shared between sexes) is a particularly strong case to prohibit them from serving. Unless you plan on your people getting captured.

Women should only be used for logistical purposes or a last stand scenario.

Women are able to fight. If they want to serve in the military, they should be able to. And not just as a backup in case the men fail.

[Chevalier IX]

hmmm...It troubles me when a community such as that which can be found on the Total War forums allows itself to devolve into childish and uneducated remarks in what could have been a lively and thought provoking topic...overall the necroing of this thread could have been a positive thing seeing the conversations that have been carried on concerning the possible presence of female soldiers/conscripts in future and current Total War games...but alas it seems it derails rather quickly around here for some...I will not name anyone in particular..you and all others know who you are..