Great topic, Vandoo and I love the pictures! Reminds me of how much I want to go to India. Looking forward to see this topic evolve.
I don't have much to contribute as to war elephants, but I recently read about how elephants traditionally have been used to execute people over much of Asia, in particular under the Mughal empires:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Execution_by_elephant
Apparently such elephants were very carefully trained and able to carry out the deed in a varied number of detailed ways according to the command of the ruler. It symbolizes of course not only the rulers official power over death and life, but also his might in the ability to command the strongest of natures creatures.
"a Kandyan [Sri Lankan] chief, who was witness to such scenes, has assured us that the elephant never once applied his tusks, but, placing his foot on the prostrate victim, plucked off his limbs in succession by a sudden movement of his trunk."
- A tall frosty glass of brutal, anyone?
Picture below from
An Historical Relation of the Island Ceylon by Robert Knox (1681)