Part 9.5: Dress and Other Amenities of a Soldier

[Full title: Arms, Army and Warfare (5): Dress and Other Amenities of a Soldier]

Bāṇa mentions that the garments of the soldiers were very fine when they were off for king Harṣa’s army expedition. The jackets were of dark blue colour.^[1] Some put on dresses as white as milk,^[2] and also they put on helmets^[3] to protect their heads. The warrior put on a coat of mail or armour (kavaca) to protect his body. Prince Rājyavardhana set out to conquer Northern India, when he was fit to wear armour.^[4]

According to the Amarakoṣa—

auraśchadaḥ kaṅkaṭako jagaraḥ kavacoe’striyām.^[5]

There were many other instruments, too, used at that time, such as-kāhala (large drum, p.109), kaunikā (drum, p.109), dundubhi (p.112), guñjā (trumpet, p.109), paṭaha (p.109), śaṃkha (conch or an emblem of command, p.109). The great warriors in the battle had a śaṃkha which they blew before starting the fight. Messenger Haṃsavega mentioned that kumāra Bhāskaravarman had a precious śaṃkha collected from the sea.^[6] The other accompaniment of war was dhvajā.^[7] Some Dharmasūtras advised to perform nirājana rituals for winning a war.^[8] We have found a description of performing the ceremony called nirājana,^[9] i.e., it was a military and religious ceremony performed by kings.

We also get information from a famous Chinese traveller, Hien Thsang, who had been in India from 629 A.D. to 645 A.D. about the reign of king Harṣavardhana that he was the emperor of Northern India. From the description of kumār Rājyavardhana’s death by the conspiracy and the story of Grahavarmā, brother-in-law of king Harṣavardhana, being murdered by Śaśaṅka, we come to know that the political condition of that period was complex. Although, Bāṇa doesn’t discuss in detail the whole life of the king Harṣa,^[10] it may be said that Harṣa was the most successful emperor among the Gupta kings. All the genial relationship was maintained by him and the subjects were highly satisfied with him.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

..mecakakañcukaiḥ.., Harṣacarita, p.110

[2]:

kṣīrodaphenapaḍaladhavalāmbaravāhī, Ibid., p.111

[3]:

kholaḥ, Ibid.

[4]:

atha …rājyavardhanaṃ kavacaharamāhuya……uttarāpathaṃ prāhiṇot, Ibid.,V. p.74

[5]:

Amarakoṣa,II.8.64

[6]:

....vāhinīnāthānāṃ śaṅkhajahāra na ratnāni…, Harṣacarita,VII. p.118

[7]:

Ibid., p.110

[8]:

Manusaṃhitā,V.1,4,14-19

[9]:

paralokavijayaya nirājyamanamiva……biceṣṭamānam, Harṣacarita,VI. p.98

[10]:

kaḥ khalu puruṣāyuṣaśatenāpi saknuyādavikalamasya caritaṃ varnayitum. ekadeśe tu yadi kutūhalaṃ vaḥ, sajjā vayam, Ibid.,III.p.41