Nitiprakasika (Critical Analysis)
by S. Anusha | 2016 | 34,012 words
This page relates ‘War Finance (Introduction)’ of the study on the Nitiprakasika by Vaisampayana which deals primarily with with Dhanurveda, i.e., the science of war, weapons and military strategies of ancient Indian society. It further contains details on Niti-shastra, i.e., the science of politics and state administration but most verses of the Nitiprakashika deal with the classification and description of different varieties of weapons, based on the four groups of Mukta, Amukta, Muktamukta and Mantramukta.
War Finance (Introduction)
Generally, the expenditure for military purposes comprises of the salaries for the soldiers, army officers; construction and maintenance of forts; purchase and up-keep of weapons. Apart from these, to carry out diplomatic activities, for instance, to secure information from enemy ranks or to create trouble within the enemy’s country, money has to be spent in various ways.
Among these, payment made to the warriors assumes paramount significance because only a well-paid, happy soldier would discharge his duties without any hesitation. A soldier whose family is not protected will not fight with full interest in the battlefield. In the Rāmāyaṇa, (Ayodhya. 100.32-3)[1] Rāma enquires Bharata about the regularity of the emoluments for the soldiers and warns Bharata about the effect of angry soldiers. In the Mahābhārata[2] too, stress is laid on the regular payment to the army.
Footnotes and references:
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