Battle elephants were used in Thailand and much of Asia and Europe in ancient warfare. They carried the weight of the battle as both war machines and in instilling psychological terror against the enemy. The mahouts controlled the elephants and fought with spears and other long weapons atop the elephant. Officers guided the overall strategy from the towers affixed behind the mahout on the elephant’s back. Elephants were successfully used in many ancient battles in attacking infantry, subduing horses in the enemy cavalry, and protecting the soldiers by walling them in. They were also effective in sieges of enemy camps.
