The lion was in india just as long if not longer than tigers:
Ashokas monuments:
The
pillars of Ashoka are a series of columns dispersed throughout the
Indian subcontinent, erected or at least inscribed with
edicts by the
Mauryan king
Ashoka during his reign in the 3rd century BC.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillars_of_Ashoka
From the old Indian writings, we are led to believe that
the lion, called singh, was formerly spread over the whole of India.
https://books.google.com/books?id=fttAAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA440&dq=lion+tiger+india&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwj_k7mvmuzJAhVLGR4KHaBvCbU4FBDoAQgmMAI#v=onepage&q=lion tiger india&f=false
Kailasa temple 8th century india
http://www.messagetoeagle.com/gigan...engineering-marvel-of-indias-master-builders/
Lions=Four Noble Truths
INDIAN FIELD SPORTS. (
Extract of a Letter, dated Meerut, June 29, 1822.)
I went expressly for lions, which are found beyond Hamsi, on the borders of the desert. I killed
two lions, four lionesses, a tiger and tigress, and a leopard. Such sport, however, is certainly not sufficient to recompence a man for the vile climate he gets into in that part of the country. One of the lionesses had two young ones, which I brought away. They are quite tame, and are now running about my house.
I do not think that the lion is so powerful an animal as the tiger, but he fights much better. A tiger will make his attack, and then retire; but a lion never retreats; he fights until he is killed. I believe I have now done with shooting. I can boast what I believe few others can: having shot an elephant dead with a single ball; twice killed tigers, right and left; and once lions right and left. On looking over my game-book, I find that I have killed, since the regiment has been at this station, two elephants, two lions, four lionesses, seventy-two tigers and tigresses, and caught a young elephant, a young lion and lioness, and a young tiger.
https://books.google.com/books?pg=PA330&dq=meerut+india+lion+tiger&id=16ZFAQAAMAAJ#v=onepage&q=meerut india lion tiger&f=false
Hence the lion was seen in places like meerut, ganges yamuna, surat, bangalore ect which are all marked places of the ashoka pillars and sites...so this throws into play the ashoka pillars wasnt just to idolize the actual man ashoka, but the pillars were land marks of where the lions once reigned in the BC times of ancient india.
I mean, look at that...look at the placement of the ashoka pillar in sopara...thats exactly where in the 18th century a hunter saw a lion kill a tiger at:
WILD
An account which took place at india in Surat:
The fauna there includes a few tigers:
https://books.google.com/books?id=6...a=X&ei=jFyXVOSwDInUoAS60IGYAw&ved=0CA4Q6AEwBA
Tapi river is the home to the natural habitats of many wild animals
including tigers, sloth bear, lions, snakes and many more.
http://www.ecoindia.com/rivers/tapi.html
One of the biggest tigers recorded came from surat:
https://books.google.com/books?id=I...X&ei=xl-XVID_FoKvoQSgkoHABQ&ved=0CAwQ6AEwAzgK
JUNGLES OF INDIA THRILLING SCENE
Our destination was the province called Guzerat, which is a large peninsula northwest of Bombay. We could have proceeded thither in a short time by sea, but Mr. Barrill took the circuitous land route, in order to see the country. At the end of the first day's journey we en camped at the base of a range of mountains " the height of which I supposed was fifteen hundred feet. These mountains extend entirely through western India. In the vicinity of our encampment, they were steep and stony. On aU sides were forests of bamboo, presenting a straighter and more regular aspet, than any woodland I had ever HINDOO HABITS….
At Domus, Mr. Barrill disposed of his tusks to a Parsee merchant, for about one-half the price he could have obtained if he had conveyed them to Surat. But he was glad to ged rid of the burden. Domus -n-as a small town. The inhabitants were courteous enough, but we understood that some of them were strongly suspected of being engaged in piracy. Our servants informed us that the Parsees were very numerous in the country northward, and their enterprise was the chief source of its prosperity. At noon the second day after our arrival at Domus, we came within sight of the celebrated city of Surat. Its towers and pagodas gave it an imposing appearance… but as we approached the walls age and decay were strikingly evident. This city is situated on the Taptee, about tvrenty miles from the point where the mouth, or bay, empties into the gulf of Cambay. It is about six miles in circumference, and shaped like a bow, the cord being the Taptee, having near its centre, a small castle garrisoned by a few sepoys and Europeans. On ofner sides, the town is surrounded by a wall, flanked with semicircular towers. Without the walls we found some good European houses, formerly occupied by the French, but now, the residence of English officers; but the houses within the town were very inferior, consisting only of timber frames filled up with bricks, their upper stories projecting over each other. The streets were narrow and irregular. Only small boats, called ketches, can ascend the river to Surat " yet the city once had a very extensive* commerce.
We remained three days in Surat. During this period, Mr. Barrill made some valuable acquaintance among the English, and purchased some small articles which he deemed necessary for our comfort. We found that nearly all the business of the city was carried on by the Parsees " the Hindoos being generally as indolent as they were superstitious…
The jungle was beautiful and luxuriant " the dark green foliage of the bamboo contrasting finely with the lighter verdure of the palm and the blossoms of numerous other trees for which I had no name. The encounter of the day before had left an impression not easily effaced, and we took care to avoid, as far as we could, consistently with our designs upon the game, the thickest jungle, where it was difficult to see beyond a few yards on each side. The Hindoos were all eye as they marched, and I thought, that each moment, one of them shuddered as if he expected the terrible tiger to spring from the bushes and dash him to the ground. We had proceeded about six or seven niiles, without meeting with any animals, deemed worthy of our rifles, and were growing more confident in our march. ^Lr. Barrill and I had fallen into conversation about the contrast between the forests of India and South Africa, when a tremendous roar, and the shrieks of the Hindoos, rang fearfully in our ears, and brought our shuddering horses to a halt. The case flashed on our eyes we turned. The Parsees stood as if paralyzed " the Hindoos shrieked and danced, and seemed senseless with fright. Hurrying away through the jungle we could occasionally catch a glimpse of the striped hack of a tiger ' and a faint shriek told us what he had dared to seize foi his meal. Humanity and our own burning thirst for distinction in this region, new to us, banished all feelings uf dread, and we started away, with ready rifles in pursuit, the rest of the party following, not knowing what else to do for safety. The tiger had disappeared beneath the thick foliage of the bushes, and the cessation of the victim's shrieks left us no clue to the ferocious animal's whereabouts.
When suddenly, within about fifty yards, sounded the tremendous voice of a lion " a sound we could never forget; and a succession of awful growls, snaps, and loud rustics among the bushes, led us to believe that the two tyrants of the forests were contending for the mastery. Anxious to gain a view of such a fearful struggle, we pressed forward^ till emerging from a clump of bushes, we beheld almost at our horse's feet, the lion and tiger rolling over and over, in a conflict which only death could interrupt. The mangled Hindoo was lying senseless upon his face, within a few yards of the ferocious combatants. We did not fire, but reserved our bullets till the conflict should destroy one of the beasts.
It was a horrible struggle. The tiger was quite as large as the lion, and much quicker in his movements. But the lion showed a decided superiority of strength, and his great mane effectually covered his head. Still his hack and sides were torn hy the tiger's claws, and for some minutes the contest was doubtful. Both possessed equal courage and determination, and no disposition was evinced to have a drawn battle. It was one of the compensations of nature. The tyrants of the woods, who had so long preyed upon the weaker animals, were now paying each other in due form. Draw near, ye ghosts of mangled cattle, stags and lesser beasts, to gloat over your revenge! Our prescence seemed a matter of indifference to the combatants, so intent were they in that struggle of strength and activity. But the endurance of the lion prevailed " seizing the tiger by the throat, he turned it on its back, and with his strong claws tore open its belly, and, thus put an end to its ferocious life. Hail, king of beasts, for so thou art I This had scarcely been achieved when simultaneotis balls from our rifles, stretched the lion beside the foe whom he had vanquished, and their blood mingled among the grass….
We immediately dismounted, hastened to the wounded Hindoo, while his companions busied themselves in striking their spears into the helpless tiger " and patting the head of the lion. Raising the poor fellow, we found that he was so dreadfully bitten and torn about the throat and breast, that his chance of living was but small. He could not speak. After a short time spent in reeking their cowardly vengeance on the tiger, his Hindoo companions said that they had quite enough of hunting tigers on foot, and that they would take the wounded man back to Elaw as quickly as possible. Mr. Barrill agreed with them that it was the best course they could pursue, and gave them the skin of the tiger to take with them as a kind compensation for their fright. They constructed a rude litter of branches, on which they laid their wounded companion " then skinned the tigers-cutting ofi" his head " while our Parsees were skinning the lion, and then bade us adieu. The lion was not as large as those we had killed in Africa " His skin was of a yellowish hue, the mane being some shades deeper. In other respects, there seemed to be no difference between the lions of Asia and Africa.
The tiger was a beautiful animal, the skin being striped as splendidly as that of the African zebra. The form resembled that of the common cat. The eyes were of a greenish grey color, having a ferocious glare " and the appearance of the teeth and claws was enough to send a thrill of terror through a person of timid nerves. The roar of this monster, which was the first intelligence of his presence we had received, resembled that of the lion, but was not so deep and grand. When enraged as it was during the conflict with the lion, it makes a shrill cry which pierces the ear in a most disagreeable way.
http://www.forgottenbooks.com/readbook_text/Perils_and_Pleasures_of_a_Hunters_Life_1000110811/209
http://www.forgottenbooks.com/readbook_text/Perils_and_Pleasures_of_a_Hunters_Life_1000110811/211
It states non-fiction:
http://www.readanybook.com/author/peregrine-herne-10860
It states it’s a autobiography:
http://www.gregorrarebooks.com/cgi-bin/gregor/19933.html?id=DHdpg6en
Here is Herne being noted as one of the first hunters of his era:
http://www.shakariconnection.com/early-african-hunter-books.html
I think the ashoka pillars origination reasons, was not only the lions previous distribution, but also where they saw the lions testament of might, prowess and strength show cased...in other words where both the lions and tigers inhabited, it was seen again and again, the lion killing the tiger and the superior of the two, why would they emit a tiger tower? Tigers cant take on 2 or more lions and win, let alone a pride... hence the 4 lions facing in all directions represents his powers in ruling the four corners of india.
Tigers cant handle this type of heavy competition:
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...-2-kings-in-Gir-coup/articleshow/45542721.cms
I'm sure they can co-exist, but only one will have absolute rights to any grounds they wish to rule, and thats the lion, hence answering the question of who is the King of beast.
lion
Re-reviewing what the hunter Herne peregrine stated about the lion and tiger attributes can be fact checked even today...he states the tigers roar is not so grand as the lions...lets look at the indian lions roar compared to the tigers:
