The Tale of Pedangi

Kings, generals and conquerors of the middle to early modern age had one thing in common. They rode to their victories on their mounts. It is but natural then that the horses of these great warriors became as much part of the history as their masters created.

The pecking order on great mounts perhaps should start with that of Bucephalus, the black Thessalian mount with a white star on its forehead, that Alexander the Great rode to conquer the world. It is said that Alexander and Bucephalus were soul mates. It is also said that Bucephalus died in the battle of Hydaspes in 326 BC. For Indophiles, it is at Hydaspes that Alexander defeated Porus, or as Indians call him, Purushottam, the King who stood the might of Alexander. Legend has it that Bucephalus was buried Jalalpur Sharif outside Jhelum in Pakistan. Shortly after the death of his mount, on his way back to Macedonia, even Alexander fell to poison (at least that is what the legends say). Selucus I who governed the Indian territories of Alexander even had gold coins minted in honor of Bucephalus.

One of the everlasting legends, in all propriety, belongs to Marengo, the Arabian silver grey steed that carried Napoleon Bonaparte to his victory in Austerlitz. Marengo also was witness to Napoleon’s nemesis at Waterloo. Marengo was carried off to England as a war prize and, as of today, his skeleton is displayed in the Royal Army Museum, Chelsea, England. It is said that even his hooves have been made into snuff boxes and jewels.

It is unfortunate that in India, horses that played part of its history have remained at best part of its folklore, but hardly ever its national symbols. Little do the histories of such mounts play a part in Indian national psyche. If royal mounts in India have such legacies little wonder then that lesser ‘mortals’ among the family of mounts find even rarer mention. But, here is a story that we reckon as different not of the past, but the present India.

The bay mare of the Spanish breed, the mule (hoof number 15328) joined the Indian Army’s RVC service in 1962. Immediately upon her induction she was deployed in the Indo-Chinese operations in a desolate spot of the North East called Pedong. Surprisingly, the young mule survived the horrors of her deployment earning the notice of the Commanding Officer (CO) of the platoon with which she was deployed with remarkable fortitude and stamina. She was promptly christened “Pedongi” by the platoon. However Pedongi earned her spurs nearly a decade later in the 1971 war with Pakistan. While transporting vital arms supply to one of the far flung posts, Pedongi and her mates came under fire from Pakistani troops. After killing the mule drivers, Pakistani troops took the mules captive and employed them for their own purposes. While in the employ of the new masters, Pedongi decided to live upto the saga of valour that Indian Army is famous for. One fine day, having been loaded with the Medium Machine Gun (MMG) to be carried to one of the Pak posts, Pedongi gave its masters the slip and ran back to the Indian lines with the MMG. She trotted nearly 20 Kms before she found her own platoon to ‘report’ to. The CO of 853 AT Company, realizing the gravity and the valour of the mule, raised a citation for bravery for Pedongi. Pedongi was conferred the ‘Vir Chakra’, one of the highest military awards for bravery in the face of enemy by the government of India. Major Chunni Lal Sharma, CO, of her battalion, made Pedongi the mascot of his battalion. Finally, in 1992, Pedongi was specially taken to Delhi where she was presented with a bravery citation and a blue velvet ceremonial rug at the 223 Corps Day Function.

                   

The brave Pedongi made it to the Guinness Book of World Records as the ‘Longest-Serving Military Mule’ in 1997 before passing away peacefully in Bareilly on March 25, 1998. She was nearly 39 years old, indeed the longest serving army mule at her death.