Ashvamedha
![illustration of the Ramayana by Sahib Din, 1652. Kausalya is depicted slaying the horse (left) and lying beside it (right).](/Images/godic/202412/22/Asvamedha_ramayana4827.JPG")
![A 19th century painting, depicting the preparation of army to follow the sacrificial horse. Probably from a picture story depicting Lakshmisa's Jaimini Bharata](/Images/godic/202412/22/Krishna_Advising_on_the_Horse_Sacrifice4827.jpg")
![An Ashwamedha coin of Kumaragupta, who performed the sacrifice in 5th century CE](/Images/godic/202412/22/Ashvamedha_Kumaragupta4827.jpg")
The Ashvamedha (Sanskrit: अश्वमेध aśvamedhá) is a horse sacrifice ritual followed by the Śrauta tradition of Vedic religion. It was used by ancient Indian kings to prove their imperial sovereignty: a horse accompanied by the king's warriors would be released to wander for a period of one year. In the territory traversed by the horse, any rival could dispute the king's authority by challenging the warriors accompanying it. After one year, if no enemy had managed to kill or capture the horse, the animal would be guided back to the king's capital. It would be then sacrificed, and the king would be declared as an undisputed sovereign.