Page "Cavalry" Paragraph 58

The Kambojas were famous for their horses, as well as cavalry-men ( asva-yuddha-Kushalah ).

On account of their supreme position in horse ( Ashva ) culture, they were also popularly known as Ashvakas, i. e. the " horsemen " and their land was known as " Home of Horses ".

They are the Assakenoi and Aspasioi of the Classical writings, and the Ashvakayanas and Ashvayanas in Pāṇini's Ashtadhyayi.

The Assakenoi had faced Alexander with 30, 000 infantry, 20, 000 cavalry and 30 war elephants.

Scholars have identified the Assakenoi and Aspasioi clans of Kunar and Swat valleys as a section of the Kambojas.

These hardy tribes had offered stubborn resistance to Alexander ( 326 c BC ) during latter's campaign of the Kabul, Kunar and Swat valleys and had even extracted the praise of the Alexander's historians.

These highlanders, designated as " parvatiya Ayudhajivinah " in Pāṇini's Astadhyayi, were rebellious, fiercely independent and freedom-loving cavalrymen who never easily yielded to any overlord.