15.4. Army in action

The king generally marched against an enemy in the Sarad season with the intention of annexing his territory. 148. Tilakamanjari,p.235 (20ff.) arddhajarjaradvirada sayya sahasra sucitatikrama cakravarti- sainyasamnivesaih pradesah -- 1 149. ibid.,p.84 (12) -- gajagarjitarakha sravana kupitanam panjaraphesa rinom pratkrtena ... | 150. ibid.,p.86(5); 86(11); 141(19). 151. ibid,p.124(25) calita vrsyudha marganulagna nisthura jaranma hisa prstha kantha- lavalambita kutupa kasthapatri surpa loha karparesu | 152. ibid.,p.84(3ff.). 153. ibid.,p.86(19ff.).

681 The army halted their march during the night-hours and camped. 154 The march was commenced on an auspicious day, 155 on which the king rode the royal elephant, and an auspici- 156 157 ous pitcher was placed in his front. 'The feudatories then mounted their horses' and, at the signal of the drum, the 158 foot-soldiers started marching. When the rival forces were stronger and it was not possible to fight single-handed, the kings preferred to shut themselves in the forts situated on the tops of mountains or in the midst of water 159 and tried to secure military a reinforcements from neighbouring kings. Elaborate precautionary and preparatory measures were taken when the forces took refuge in a fort. Thus, the adjoining villages were burnt away, probably after transferring the population to a safer place; the reservoirs of water outside the fort were destroyed; profuse grains were stored and large amonts of fodder and firewood were collected inu h side the fort; old wells and step-wells were renovated for 154. cf. Tilakamanjari,p.38(1)- timirasibire M 155. ibid,p.16 (3ff.) -- yadiya sainyesu sakalapatipaksa laksmi jighrksaya saratsa- maye samantatahh pracalitesu ... 1 156. ibid.',p.97 (9ff.) adhiruddha cam pradhanajayavarana marosya mala kala sama --- 157. ibid.,p.232(2ff.). - purah ... 158. ibid.,p.153(10ff.); 321(23ff.). 159. cf. ibid.,p.142(22ff.); 276(7). 160. cf. ibid., p.82(22ff.)... 314fe 54th & savidhavartina mavaniyala namanusamdhanama pradhana dutagrhah prahinot | aparityakta samabhilasanca sahayaka dhiya | 211614472211

682 use and cleared of mud; unnecessary people were expelled from the fort%3B the ground just near the foot of the castle was made rugged and uneven; the approaches to the mote surrounding the castle-wall were made steep in order to make it difficult to drop in and cross over; unknown or unidentified persons were prevented from entering, or getting out of, the fort. All the roads to the castle-wall, and the gates, were heavily guarded by vigilent trustworthy guards; stones, to be thrown by hands, were collected in heaps near the castle-wall; the divisions of cavalry and elephants were kept constantly moving along the frontier regions; and strange types of firing machines were installed in the 161 guard-posts. 162 163 In such circumstances, the attacking forces Haid a heavy and tight ™ seige around the fort tomforestall any reimbursment of enemy forces by the neighbouring kings. Civilians suffered at the hands of the sieging forces. Brief fighting bouts were resorted to as a strategy. A generally accepted code of military morals deprecated tha 165. fighting during the nights as dishonourable. Even then the brave and honourable warriors like Samaraketu did 161. Tilakamanjari, p.82(15-22). 162. ibid., p.83(lff.)\\25) 45111 163. ibid., p.83(4) mahantamatanka makarot | sloka sutritayodhanesu -- 1 164. ibid., p.343(19)" 165. ibid.,p.94(14)-- sudra ksatriya loka sucitah sauptika yuddha margah 95 (10) natham kramo namasya ili nivaryamano'pi mantribhih 164

683 166 choose to launch a night-attack (yamini-yuddha) in special circumstances probably as it afforded the advantage taking the enemy by surprise. Dhanapala has referred to the following aspects of actual fighting in action: Thus the rival forces (i) shouted at, or abused, each other; (ii) uttered loud war-cries; (iii) pelted stones; (iv) flourished trumpets very shrilly; (v) sprinkled boiling oil from the spouts of the firing machine; (vi) Soldiers, protected under huge shields, crawled Anear the foot of the castle-wall and tried to dig out a passage inside; (vii) soldiers on the castle-wall hotly shouted at them%3B (viii) the shielded soldiers entreated their commanders to allow them to enter into the dug out portions of the castle-wall; (ix) the mounts of the elephants were subjected to fire by throwing lighted bunches of grass on to them; (x) arrows with red-hot blades were shot; (xi) the doors of the gates were subjected to heavy blows of axes; (xii) volleys of stones were directed in the direction of the sounds of the axe-blows; and (xiii) the village people gathered at a safe distant spot to witness the fighting. There are references to the use of 168 hail-stones as bullets to be fired probably from the 166. Tilakamanjari, p.63(16). 167. ibid.,p.83(7-15). karakopala prakaranata 168. ibid., p.16(1)--- 4241434424151... 1

684 firing-machine, like a cannon to battle formations and selection of hard ground as suitable for fighting. 169 170 Rival kings were at times completely exterminated aling with their wives and children. It was but a custom to capture women and children along with the seizure of 171. the wealth of the enemy. Soldiers were allowed to loot the cities and villages of the enemy. Libraries were also looted and the books obtained thereof were then distributed by the victorious king to the scholars of his own court.