Warfare and Military System in Vedic Literature
by Rinki Deka | 2023 | 39,711 words
This page relates ‘Causes of War’ of the study on Warfare and the Military System of ancient India as gleaned from the Vedic Literature. The purpose of this work is to study the defensive and offensive systems of the Vedic people, including their army divisions, political and administrative systems, use of arms and armours, fortification, ethics and other principles related to warfare; while reflecting the social system and cultural aspects of ancient India.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
The Causes of War
The causes of war may be many and varied. According to A.S. Altekar,
“The usual causes for which states went to war with each other were—the desire to attain the imperial status, the necessity of self-preservation, the acquisition of more territories of tributes, the restoration of the balance of power, the retaliation for raids, the rescue of opposed population.”[1]
The term gaviṣṭi, which means the desire for cattle,[2] is used in the sense of war or battle.[3] Therefore, the desire for cattle is one of the chief causes of battle.
In this context, Sāyaṇācārya in his commentary rightly observes—
gaviṣṭiṣu goviṣayecchāyukteṣu saṃgrāmeṣu/[4]
In the Vedic period, a sense of insecurity of life lurked in the minds of the people and this insecurity led to the organisation of machinery of defence.[5] The political issue is the main cause of war. Any particular ruler or state authority tried to establish the political supremacy over the others, and this ambition leads to warfare. Several hymns from the Atharvaveda-saṃhitā gives the idea of overlordship and love of glory.[6] In an Atharvavedic verse, Indra is prayed to make the king enemy free from all sides.[7] The concept of sārvabhauma or cakravartin is the most potent political cause of war. The sārvabhauma samanta is called a king, who rules or holds sway till the end of the country touching the ocean without any rival sovereign.[8] Psychology plays a major role in causing of war.
Jealousy may be regarded as the psychological factor, which is mentioned in the Atharvaveda-saṃhitā—
yadasāvamuto devā adevaḥ saṃścikīrṣati/ mā tasyāgnirhavyaṃ vākṣīḍdhavaṃ devā asya mopa gurmamaiva havametana//[9]
While discussing the psychological background of war in ancient India, V.R.R. Dikshitar states,
“Being born warriors and barred by rules from taking to other professions, the Kṣatriyas were impatient of peace. In fact, it is the psychological barrenness of peace that led to many wars in India’s ancient history.”[10]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Vide, Altekar, A.S., State and Government in Ancient India, p. 219
[2]:
[3]:
Ṛgveda-saṃhitā , 3.47.4, 6.31.3 Also vide, Atharvaveda-saṃhitā , 4.24.5
[4]:
Sāyaṇa, Ṛgveda-saṃhitā , 1.36.8
[5]:
yo’smān dveṣṭi tamātmā dveṣṭu yaṃ vayaṃ dviṣmaḥ sa ātmānaṃ dveṣṭu// Atharvaveda-saṃhitā , 16.7.5 Also vide, Taittirīya-saṃhitā , 1.2.5.1
[6]:
Atharvaveda-saṃhitā , 4.22, 6.40, 6.41
[7]:
anamitrṃ no adharādanamitraṃ na uttarāt/ indrānamitraṃ naḥ paścādanamitraṃ puraskṛdhi// Ibid., 6.41.3
[8]:
ayaṃ samantaparyāyī syāt sārvabhaumaḥ sārvāyuṣa ā’ntādā parārdhāt pṛthivyai samudraparyantāyā ekarāḷiti… // Aitareya-brāhmaṇa , 8.4.1
[9]:
Atharvaveda-saṃhitā , 5.8.3
[10]:
Vide, Dikshitar, V.R.R., War in Ancient India, p.11