Part 9: Arms, Army and Warfare (Introduction)

The three things arms force, weapon and war come into one field. In order to protect himself against external incursions and internal disorders, each king had to maintain an efficient army. Kauṭilya includes army among the seven constituents of the state.^[1] About the importance of the war Manu recommends that if the king thinks all his subjects to be exceedingly contended, and he himself is most exalted in (power), then let him way war.^[2] It is mentioned in the Arthaśāstra that the warrior should wait for the suitable time and place and way war with the challenger.^[3] Bāṇa describes that at that time the capital was always filled with the army.^[4]

The word samara^[5] is used to indicate the war. Description is found that king Prabhākaravardhana went to daṇḍayātrā and he ordered cutting down of the bank of the river, trees, mountain etc. for the march of the army without hesitation in the time of yātrā.^[6] The Dharmaśāstra^[7] advised that the king should act upon the advice of those who are experts in the art of war. In this context, it is seen that king Harṣavardhana had got advices from his efficient commander-in-chief Skaṇḍagupta, before he went for the expedition. Also known as the leader of the army (gajasenādhyakṣa), Harṣa wanted to know about his arm force from Skaṇḍagupta.^[8]

It appears that the king himself supervise the arm force. Bāṇa also mentions that Harṣa himself took the all war responsibility in his hands.^[9] The political information is also found in the words of Skaṇḍagupta,^[10] who was said to be the expert person in politics. When the king Harṣa declared to fight against Gauḍādhipati Śaśāṅka, at first he had invited Siṃhanāda, the commander-in-chief,^[11] who was very expert in war,^[12] for discussion regarding his arm-force. In this context, Bāṇa also has given through the words of Skaṇḍagupta about the terrible description of war; that sometimes enemies were painted with blood and also whole Earth was filled with blood of dead-warrior in the war time.^[13] In the Harṣacarita, Bāṇa gives a brief description of Harṣa’s army camp^[14] (kaṭaka) and the military camp was made of bamboo, and grass was put up outside the capital.^[15] The camp (kaṭaka) was filled up with all the requirements including men, cattle and stores of all kinds.^[16] In the days of the march, the barrack superintendent (pāṭipati) ordered all to get-up very early in the morning.^[17] The writer describes that due to the fear of Harṣa’s daṇḍayātrā, the enemy commanders’ movement had been unsteady and they had to overcome

sleepless nights, so that their steadiness of minds did not got upset.^[18] Here, vāhinī^[19] implies the soldiers. Bāṇa mentions that king Harṣa himself was a commander of army.^[20]

The Amarakoṣa says about vāhinī—

svavantyāmapi vāhinī.^[21]

By the word caturaṅga, Bāṇa refers to the four arms of the ancient Indian army viz., infantry (padāti), cavalry (aśvārohī), chariotories (rathī), and elephantry (gajarathī).^[22]

It is found in the reports of Hieun Tsang—

“In the time of Harṣa the army comprised of 50,000 infantry, 20,000 cavalry, and 5,000 elephants. When he returned from his expedition, his cavalry increased to 100,000 and elephants to 60,000.”^[23]

Normally wars were fought for defense and conquest, and also for expedition into neighboring territories for the sake of booty. The army was comprised of infantry (padāti)^[24] and chariotories^[25] going together to battle.

A brief description of a war was seen^[26] in this gadyakāvya, as to how a king had prepared to go to a battle field against his enemy. Equipments of soldiers are also depicted. At last, king himself announced the time of the arranging his army (samāyoga).^[27] Bāṇa also mentions that, emperor Harṣa was so powerful a king that hearing his march with the army, the heart of the proud women were broken as a result of their anxiety for their husbands when they opposed him,^[28] and the other king’s hearts were full of anxiety.^[29]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Arthaśāstra,VIII.I

[2]:

Manusaṃhitā,VII,v.170

[3]:

Arthaśāstra,I.10.3.150-152

[4]:

kalakalamukharamahāvāhinīśatasaṃkulo…, Harṣacarita,III.p.43

[5]:

…śatrughnaḥ samara, Ibid.,III.p.44

[6]:

yaścasarvāsu dikṣu samīkṛtasarittaṭāvaṭavītapa…..girigahanaidaṇḍayātrāpathaiḥ bhṛtyopabhogāya…vasudhāṃ bahudhā, Ibid.,IV.p.56

[7]:

Āśvālāyana Gṛhyasūtra,II.5,10

[8]:

. …aśeṣagajasādhanādhikṛtaṃ skaṇḍaguptam …..draṣṭumicchāmi, Harṣacarita,VI.p.104

[9]:

….samarpitasakalavigrahabhāraṃ bhuje.., Ibid.,II. p.32

[10]:

Ibid.,VI. p.105-106

[11]:

vāhinīnāyakamaryādānuvartate…, Ibid.,VI.p.100

[12]:

ityetada…senāpatiḥ ……samagravigrahaprāgaharo,…. vāhinīnāyakamaryadānuvartate...., marmajño mahāvigrahānam, … siṃhanādanāma..., Ibid.,VI.p.99-100

[13]:

ripurudhiraśīkarāsāreṇa bhūriva śrīrapyanurajyate, Ibid.,VI.p.101

[14]:

Ibid.,VII.p.109-111

[15]:

nātidūre ca nagarādupasarasvati nirmite mahati tṛnamaye….mandire prasthānamakarot, Ibid.,VII.p.108

[16]:

..gṛhītasauvarṇapādapīṭḥī…kalaśapatadgrāhaiḥ…pārthivopakaraṇa…..sarvameva…… ..bhūpatibhṛtakabhārikai ….., Ibid.,VII. p.113

[17]:

tato raṭatpatahe,….balādhikṛtabadhyamānapāṭīpatipeṭake, Ibid.,VII. p.109

[18]:

navanṛpadaṇḍayātrāsāturā iva taralitasatvavṛttayaśacakṣuṣuḥ yatayo vāhinīnām, Ibid.

[19]:

Ibid.,VII. p.35

[20]:

….mahāvāhinīpatim, Ibid.

[21]:

Amarkoṣa,III.112

[22]:

aṣṭāpadānāṃ caturaṅgakalpanā, Harṣacarita, II.p.35

[23]:

Buddist Record of Western World, Bil, Samuel, vol. I. p.213

[24]:

….dūrīkurvadbhiriva daṃśibhi…samutsāryamāṇajanasamūho nirjagāma narapatiḥ, Harṣacarita, VII.p.111

[25]:

hayārohāhūyamānalambitaśūni, …..khakkhaṭastūyamānatuṅgatuṅgaṇaguṇe, Ibid.,VII.p.110

[26]:

Ibid.,VII.p.108

[27]:

…praviśya cāvatatāra vāhyāsthānamaṇḍapa……..apāstasamāyogaśca kṣanamāsiṣṭa, Ibid.,VII.p.115

[28]:

prayānavārtā iva māninīnāṃ hṛdayabhedinyo…., Ibid.,VII.p.118

[29]:

cinteva bhūbhṛtāṃ hṛdayāni…., Ibid.