Sports—India
The warriors of India's Vedic age (2000–1400 BCE) hunted with bows and arrows and with spears. To perfect their skills as swordsmen, they fenced. Like the warriors of other cultures, they hardened their bodies and tested their skills as runners, jumpers, and wrestlers. If the Mahabharata (composed 400 BCE–400 CE) and the Ramayana (composed 500–300 BCE) can be taken as guides, swimming, weight lifting, wrestling, archery, and sword fighting were hallmarks of the Epic age (1400–1000 BCE). In the Mahabharata, epic hero Arjuna successfully relies on meditation to enhance his skills in archery. Instructed by Lord Krishna, Arjuna has a commitment to ethics that sets him apart from his brother Bhima, who is merely an athlete.
Meditation and yogalike techniques to control and even to deny the reality of the body gained in importance after the Epic age. This ascetic tendency was intensified in the fifth century BCE when the spread of Buddhism challenged Hindu religious dominance of the subcontinent. For devout Buddhists, the quest for enlightenment took priority over physical fitness and military prowess. Although boxing and wrestling were popular at Nalanda, the ancient Buddhist university, the pull of contemplative pursuits was also strong. Among the students' other "sports" were hopping over diagrams marked on the ground and guessing other people's thoughts. During Muslim rule of northwestern India (1526–1857), there was renewed concern for things of this world, including horse races, polo, and archery.
Further Reading
Alter, Joseph S. (1992) The Wrestler's Body: Identity and Ideology in North India. Berkeley and Los Angeles: University of California Press.
Bose, Mihir. (1990) A History of Indian Cricket. London: Andrè Deutsch.
Cashman, Richard. (1980) Patrons, Players, and the Crowd: The Phenomenon of Indian Cricket. New Delhi: Orient Longman.
Wagner, Eric, ed. (1989) Sport in Asia and Africa. Westport, CT: Greenwood.
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