Illumanation

The battle takes places somewhere in central asia, maybe Persia say. On one side is the whole medieval western europe (circa 1000-1300) + Bynzantine empire with some additional support from the Ummayads. The army made their journey from Bhagdad. There are 15,000 knights and 5,000 Bynzantines. The Bynzantines have part of their army as a naval force:
Byzantine Naval Power : the Warships .
And the rest defending the coast. The medievals fight on a fairly wide plain.

Their enemies are Chola, Gupta and Song armies. The Cholas mainly focus their attention on naval forces. The number of Chola ships is uncertain.
Link: Chola Navy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The soldiers of the Cholas come from across the empire:


I am unable to think of any of the details for the Guptas.

Any help on the Song dynasty?
Link: Technology of the Song Dynasty | Junk Worth Knowing

Link: Song Dynasty - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

If they win against the Guptas, they will have a months rest then they move in to central Asia where they will have to siege a city captured by the Songs (it's very hypothetical).

Lord_of_Gauda

quite easily the chola-gupta empire. They had war elephants, who's greatest feature was total negation of cavalry. Since medeival europe almost exclusively relied on skilled heavy cavalry and peasant armies, their greatest weapon (the knights) are rendered completely useless.

Thessalonian

The elephants will probably die from starvation if the battle takes place in the steppes of Asia... Unless there is plenty of food, the elephants are not going to do much...
Moreover, elephants are afraid of fire and smoke. The "burning pigs" can create chaos too. Bees do work as well....

Elephants are scared of bees, scientists say - Telegraph
Elephants are NOT afraid of mice (but they are terrified by ants) | Mail Online


There are many ways to scare those huge animals, actually.

Lord_of_Gauda

Central asia is irrelevant, as the question was chola, gupta and song empires VS medeival Europe.
Ie, its Chola vs Europe, Gupta vs Europe and Song vs Europe.
Given the fact that medieval Europe relied heavily on cavalry to deliver victory and war elephants absolutely annihilates cavalry of any sort ( the best cavalry the world has ever seen -mongol cavalry- couldn't conquer India due to elephants), medeival euros are quite out of luck here.

Thessalonian

Central Asia is not irrelevant because the OP stated that "The battle takes places somewhere in central asia, maybe Persia say".

The Imperial

I do not know about the Songs, but the Guptas were at their peak 500 years before the Cholans peaked. They are not from the same time period, practically speaking. And the Songs were too far away in China.

I advice people against making statements of elephants being scared of fire, loud sounds, pigs, rats etc etc. As it is kind of silly. All animals are xenophobes until properly trained. I have a first hand account of elephants (fed them countess times, rode them, been covered in elephant's goo when one sneezed on me, and once was charged by one too). And let me tell you, these elephants are used in temple proceedings, and processions, amidst all the din of fireworks, crackers, drums, thousands of humans, people slapping it etc etc. These elephants go crazy very rarely, that too only when the mahouts don't 'love' them properly.

Also, the mahouts of Indian war-elephants were equipped with a wedge and a hammer, to be used when it ran amok.

Also, how did the elephants fare in the Hydaspes? Somebody please elaborate.

harbinger

Too many variables.
The asians combined can literally field irreplacebale numbers,India and china being the wealithiest and most populous countries in the world with any one alone with a gdp greater than all of medieval europe[infact right upto before the industrial revolution]

But i think that this will be a stalemate,Those massive asian numbers may simply overwhelm them in battles close to their homelands but if the battles rage further west away from their logistical bases then they can't bring this massive advantage into play.Superior european cavalry could rule the day in smaller numbers battles where larger numbers of elphants can't be supported by logistics.
In the naval department i believe byzantines will hold a decisive advantage with greek fire.
I vote stalemate as none have the power to move into another's homeland and occupy them or win a truly decisive victory in the war.

The Imperial

Yes. Though the Asians got huge powerful armies, their power projection beyond the Afghanistan would be null. The West's armies could project their powers farther.

Lazyman

"Asian" cavalry would be inferior.....why?

harbinger

No one said inferior,but understand that we are talking about not asia but india and china which produce good cavalry but perhaps not world beaters.Not talking about the cavalry of the steppes.In medieval times most eastern cavalry couldn't stand head on in a fight with knights proven by saladin's tactics but chose to fight in hit and run ways.So yes if having depth and time for a long drawn battle knights will get grinded but in a straight fight against enemy cavalry knights hold advantage.The later ottoman sipahi,mughal armored lancers and heavy armoured eastern cavalry on turko mongol model are absent in this scenario.