Warfare and Military System in Vedic Literature
by Rinki Deka | 2023 | 39,711 words
This page relates ‘Marching to War and Seasons’ 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.
Marching to War and Seasons
The ancient works refers to the suitable seasons also for the warfare. The wars were generally undertaken in the dry seasons, viz. winter, spring or summer. Because wet grounds, sloppy roads and flooded fields would be quite unsuitable for chariots and horses. The Taittirīyabrāhmaṇa mentions that the Kuru-Pāñcāla kings, used to make their raids in the dewy season.[1]
Bhaṭṭabhāskara in his commentary says—
tatpararāṣṭrebhyo’pahartuṃ kurupañcālāḥ kuravaḥ pañcālāśca kṣatriyāḥ śiśire māsi prāñco yānti te diśo jetuṃ prārabhante/ yadvā prācyāmeva jetavyāḥ teṣāmiti gamyate//[2]
Manu also states that the king should undertake his march in the fine month of Mārgaśīrṣa, or towards the months of Phālguna and Caitra.[3] The Mahābhārata also refers to that an army in which war-cars and horses preponderated should be made to march in other than the rainy season.[4] The general rule of warfare is that fighting used to come to an end with the sunset.[5] But the Āśvālāyanagṛhyasūtra refers to the night warfare.[6] The Aitareyabrāhmaṇa also mentions that the metres helped Indra in routing the enemies who took recourse to night.[7] The Mahābharata also states that Aśvatthamā and Kṛpa destroyed the army of Yudhiṣṭhira at night when they were sleeping.[8] The Droṇaparvan also gives a description of battle being fought at night and mentions that the chariots, elephants and horses carried the lamps.[9] It indicates that the Āryans were always prepared to fight even at night, because the non-Āryans took sometimes to surprise attack at night.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
tasmācchiśire kurupañcālāḥ prāñco yānti/ Taittirīya-brāhmaṇa , 1.8.4.1
[2]:
Bhaṭṭabhāskara, Ibid.
[3]:
[4]:
[5]:
[6]:
Āśvālayana-gṛhya-sūtra , 3.12.16
[8]:
tasyaiva tu dinasyānte hārdikyadrauṇigautamāḥ/ prasuptyaṃ niśi viśvastaṃ jaghnuryaudhiṣṭhiraṃ balam// Mahābhārata , 1.2.28
[9]:
Ibid., 6.154, 6.163