"Asil" is an Arabic word meaning "pure" or "thoroughbred, and is also spelled 'Aseel'. It is a very old game breed from the INDIA/PAKISTAN area and has been bred there as a game bird for many centuries, specifically for its aggressive behaviour. The Asil gamefowl breed might well be 3,500 years old as cockfighting has been mentioned in the Indian law, religion and philosophy manuscript "Manusriti" of that date; and in one of India's oldest manuscripts the "Dharmastrastra Manu, a classic work on law, order and ethics dating back to 1,500 B.C the first remarks about them were recorded. The breed was popular with the rulers of India (Mughal emperors & some Nawabs of states in India). They established the Asil for gaming and also developed their beauty. It is recognised as the oldest established breed of gamefowl, and this family of birds is a large one with many regional variations in size and type. Asil were developed primarily as a fighting bird, and this aspect of their development has had an overpowering influence on the breed's structure, constitution, and temperament as well as influencing its role in the development of more modern breeds. They are also known for their intelligent defensive and tactical thinking to keep power for long times in a endurance fight. The oldest evidence of organized cockfighting (based on archeological finds) has been found in the Indus valley (today Pakistan but Indian territory till 1947). The breed is difficult to keep due to these aggressive tendencies.
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