The novel called Horse, the Wheel, and Language by David Anthony talks about language and culture and of course linguistics!
Did you know that the average horse which is an amazingly majestic animal was actually a source of food!
In fact the domestication of the horse was a pivotal technological and social innovation that enabled the rapid mobility and expansion of Proto-Indo-European (PIE) speakers from the Pontic-Caspian steppe, thereby spreading their language and transforming ancient civilizations!
Anthony’s work focuses heavily on archaeological evidence, particularly in horses’ teeth, to date and trace the origins of horseback riding and its societal impact.
Even in the Ithihasa Mahabharata; it has been told that Horse riding is a pivotal strength! Among the pandavas; Nakula was considered an expert in horse breeding and training, and during the Pandavas’ thirteenth year of incognito exile, he disguised himself as a horse trainer and stable hand named Granthika in the kingdom of Virata. His skill was so great that it was rumored he could ride a horse at full speed through a rain shower without a single drop of water touching him!
This increased Domestication of the horse greatly increased the mobility of steppe herding societies, allowing them to manage larger herds and cover vast distances!
This increased mobility, combined with the invention of the wheeled vehicle (ox wagon and later the warrior’s chariot), provided a significant advantage in both resource gathering and warfare. It facilitated the movement of people and ideas, turning the steppes into a major corridor for trade and cultural exchange!
The horse was also a status of wealth (even now it is!). This form of “mobile wealth,” led to new social structures and hierarchies, including patron-client relationships and increased potential for conflict over grazing land!
Ultimately, the horse was not just a tool but a catalyst for the profound cultural and linguistic changes that shaped much of the modern world!
So if you want to be known as both modern and tough ‘man’; horse riding is a requisite! But my trainer at our horse riding club in Secunderabad though used to make me ride a mule most of the time and one fine day decided it is time to get on a real horse! He thought it was best to quit horsing around and get ‘evolved’!
Evolved also are singers! Like Udit Narayan!
Shubh ratri…
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