FReeper Canteen ~ Part I: War in Ancient India ~ July 13, 2004

A Tribute to Hinduism.com ^ | July 13, 2004 | LaDivaLoca

[LaDivaLoca]

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Part I: War in Ancient India

The history of ancient India is largely a history of Hindu culture and progress. Hindu culture  has a distinct claim to a higher antiquity than Assyrian schools would claim for Sargon I and as much or even higher antiquity than Egyptian scholars would claim for the commencement of the first dynasty of Kings. One aspect of this culture consists in India's political institutions which were almost modern. Modern warfare has developed on mechanical lines, giving less scope for the qualities of courage and individual leadership. The value and importance of the army were realized very early in the history of India, and this led to the maintenance of a permanent militia to put down dissent within and arrest aggression from without. This gave rise to the Ksatriya warrior caste, and the ksatram dharmam came to mean the primary duty of war. To serve the country by participating in war became the svadharma of this  warrior community. 

Hindu military science recognizes two kinds of warfare - the dharmayuddha and the kutayuddha. Dharmayuddha is war carried on the principles of dharma, meaning here the Ksatradharma or the law of Kings and Warriors. In other words, it was a just and righteous war which had the approval of society. On the other hand, kuttayuddha was unrighteous war. It was a crafty fight carried on in secret. The Hindu science of warfare values both niti and saurya i.e. ethical principles and valor. It was therefore realized that the waging of war without regard to moral standards degraded the institution into mere animal ferocity. A monarch desirous of dharma vijaya should conform to the code of ethics enjoined upon warriors. The principles regulating the two kinds of warfare are elaborately described in the Dharmasutras and Dharmasastras, the epics (Ramayana and Mahabharata), the Arthasastra treatises of Kautalya, Kamandaka, and Sukra. Hindu India possessed the classical fourfold force of chariots, elephants, horsemen, and infantry, collectively known as the Caturangabala. Students also know that the old game of chess also goes by the name of Caturanga. From the references to this game in the Rg Veda and the Atharva Veda and in the Buddhists and Jaina books, it must have been very popular in ancient India. The Persian term Chatrang and the Arabic Shatrang are forms of the Sanskrit Caturanga. 

According to Sir A. M. Eliot and Heinrich Brunnhofer (a German Indologist) and Gustav Oppert, all of whom have stated that ancient Hindus knew the use of gunpowder. Eliot tells us that the Arabs learnt the manufacture of gunpowder from India, and that before their Indian connection they had used arrows of naptha. It is also argued that though Persia possessed saltpetre in abundance, the original home of gunpowder was India. In the light of the above remarks we can trace the evolution of fire-arms in the ancient India. (source: German Indologists: Biograhpies of Scholars n Indian Studies writing in German - By Valentine Stache-Rosen. p.92). Terence Duke, author of The Boddhisattva Warriors: The Origin, Inner Philosophy, History and Symbolism of the Buddhist Martial Art Within India and China, martial arts went from India to China. Fighting without weapons was a specialty of the ancient Ksatreya warriors of India.

Introduction

The value and importance of the army were realized very early in the history of India, and this led in course of time to the maintenance of a permanent militia to put down dissensions. War or no war, the army was to be maintained, to meet any unexpected contingency. This gave rise to the Ksatriya or warrior caste, and the ksatram dharman came to mean the primary duty of war. To serve the country by participating in war became the svadharma or this warrior community. 

The necessary education, drill, and discipline to cultivate militarism were confined to the members of one community, the Ksatriyas. This prevented the militant attitude from spreading to other communities and kept the whole social structure unaffected by actual wars and war institutions. Says the Arthva Veda: "May we revel, living a hundred winters, rich in heroes." The whole country looked upon the members of the ksatriya community as defenders of their country and consequently did not grudge the high influence and power wielded by the Ksatriyas, who were assigned a social rank next in importance to the intellectual and spiritual needs of the society. The ancient Hindus were a sensitive people, and their heroes were instructed that they were defending the noble cause of God, Crown and Country. Viewed in this light, war departments were 'defense' departments and military expenditure were included in the cost of defense. In this, as in many cases, ancient India was ahead of modern ideas.

Chivalry, individual heroism, qualities of mercy and nobility of outlook even in the grimmest of struggles were not unknown to the soldiers of ancient India. Thus among the laws of war, we find that (1) a warrior (Khsatriya) in armor must not fight with one not so clad (2) one should fight only one enemy and cease fighting if the opponent is disabled, (3) aged men, women and children, the retreating, or one who held a straw in his lips as a sign of unconditional surrender should not be killed. It is of topical interest to note that one of the laws enjoins the army to leave the fruit and flower gardens, temples and other places of public worship unmolested.  

Next Tuesday, Part II of War in Ancient India

[E.G.C.]

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[justshutupandtakeit]

I hate colored backgrounds because I have great difficulty in reading with them. No problem with the words.

[HiJinx]

I see...

I don't think that's going to change. If you're serious about wanting to read what LaDiva posts every Tuesday, you may want to ask her to FReepmail you the text. It's a thought...

[Lady Jag]

Hugs from the trussell family will be happily delivered to Ms. B tonight! Thank you.

[HiJinx]

Well, it's about time!

Monsoons have arrived in Phoenix, that's great news. You're a bit early this year, you normally follow us by three weeks or more.

[HiJinx]

Please pass our love to Ms. B!

[Lady Jag]

Awesome! You lucky duck to see The President! We aren't ever going to see him here in Mass., especially after hearing the jokes he's making about it.

[trussell]

Thank you LJ!! Enjoy your visit with Ms. B!!

[Lady Jag]

Please pass our love to Ms. B!

Will do. It's a drizzly day and looks to be a rainy night. She'll be thrilled to hear from friends.

[LaDivaLoca]

Click on the link to the source at the top of the post. That will take you to the website and you can read the whole thing. The information is too long so it's broken down into several parts for Canteeners and Canteen guests. Hope this helps.

[LaDivaLoca]

I'm no expert in ancient history but Google.com can lead you to sites that may have the answer you seek. You may also want to check these out:

http://members.aol.com/bkdonnclass/Indialife.html#INDUS

http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/ANCINDIA/CONTENTS.HTM

History of India

Chronology

3200-1600 BCE: India - The INDUS VALLEY civilization grows up along the banks of the Indus River in what is now Pakistan. The two most important sites uncovered so far by archeologists are Harappa and Mohenjo-Dara; both cities show considerable development including multi-level houses and city-wide plumbing. The Indus Valley civilization appears to have collapsed because natural disaster altered the course of the Indus River.

2300-2000 BCE: India - Cultural exchange between the INDUS VALLEY civilization and MESOPOTAMIA (present day Iraq) is especially prominent.

600-1500 BCE: India - The Aryans invade the INDUS VALLEY region.

1600-1000 BCE: India - Between these dates, the Early Vedic period of Indian civilization unfolds.

1550 BCE: India - Writing disappears from India for a time with the destruction of the INDUS VALLEY civilization.

1000-600 BCE: India - During this period of Indian civilization, the Late Vedic period, the Aryans are integrated into Indian culture. The caste system emerges. 1000 BCE: India - The Rig Veda, the first Vedic literature, is written.

800-600 BCE: India - The Brahmans, a priestly caste, begin to emerge.

800-500 BCE: India - The Upanishads are written around this time; the doctrines of rebirth and the transmigration of souls start to appear, leading to important theological transformations within Hinduism.

563 BCE: India - Gautama Siddharta Buddha, the founder of Buddhism, is born somewhere in what is today Nepal. He will die sometime around 483.

540 BCE: India - Mahavira, the founder of Jainism, is born. He will die around 486.

537 BCE: India - Cyrus the Persian campaigns west of the Indus River.

517-509 BCE: India - Darius the Persian conquers the INDUS VALLEY region, making the area a province of the Persian Empire.

500-200 BCE: India - The Mahabharata, of which The Bhagavad Gita is a part, is put into final form.

400 BCE: India - Panini's Sutra, the earliest Sanskrit grammer, is written. 327-326 BCE: India - Alexander the Great passes through the INDUS VALLEY installing Greek officials in the area.

323 BCE: India - Alexander the Great dies, providing the opportunity for an independent state in India. Chandragupta Maurya founds the Maurya dynasty, the first Indian empire. Its capital is in Patna. By 184, this dynasty will conquer most of India.

304 BCE: India - Chandragupta trades 500 war elephants to Seleucus in exchange for the Indus region and regions immediately to the West.

273-232 BCE: India - Ashoka, grandson of Chandragupta Maurya and most impressive ruler in the Maurya dynasty, rules in India and institutes a series of edicts designed to bring about moral reform. His policy on reform flows from his Buddhist orientation.

251-246 BCE: India - The Aryan Hindus occupy Celyon.

250 BCE: India - A general council of Buddhist monks is held in Patna, where the canon of Buddhist scriptures is selected.

184 BCE: India - The Maurya dynasty ends when the last ruler is assassinated by an ambitious army commander.

[Fifth Business]

Thanks. I gather from the links you provided that Harrapan civilization was concommitant with Akkadian civilization in Mesopotamia and was literate, though no one has been able to decipher the script heretofore.