FReeper Canteen ~ Part XIII of War in Ancient India ~ October 5, 2004

ANCIENT WARFARE

Part XIII: War in Ancient India

The foregoing survey may convince an impartial student of history that the ancient Hindus had evolved precepts on fair fighting which formed a chivalrous code of military honor.

On the whole, however, it would seem that wars in ancient India were characterized by less violence and savagery than wars elsewhere. There is no recorded instance of such wanton and cold-blooded atrocity as Athens perpetrated against Melos, Corcyra and Mytilene, or the wearers of the Cross against the defenders of the Crescent in 1099 A.D. Such incidents of war as the indiscriminate slaughter of all men of military age or the enslavement of women and children of the conquered state were hardly known. On the whole, the chiefs were considerate of each other's rights.

This was also the Kautilyan ideal of dharmavijayan, and the typical Hindu method of creating unity out of diversity in the political sphere. It was a well-established maxim of statecraft that a victor should acquiesce in the continuance of the laws, beliefs and customs of the vanquished peoples, and that instead of seeking to extermination of the defeated dynasties, he should be content with submission and tribute. It is also the reason why some of the princely families in India can boast of an ancestry unequalled by any royal house in Europe.

It is of paramount importance to remember that in India the social, economic and religious life of the people pursued their course irrespective of the activities of the state. As early as as the 4th century B.C. Megasthenes noticed a peculiar trait of Indian warfare.

"Whereas among other nations it is usual in the contests of war to ravage the soil, and thus to reduce it to an uncultivated waste, among the Indians, on the contrary, by whom husbandmen, the tillers of the soil, even if battle is raging in the neighborhood, are undisturbed by any sense of danger, for the combatants on either side, in waging the conflict, make carnage of each other but allow those engaged in husbandry to remain quite unmolested. Besides they never ravage an enemy's land with fire nor cut down its trees." The modern "scorched earth" policy was then unknown.

Professor H. H. Wilson says: "The Hindu laws of war are very chivalrous and humane, and prohibit the slaying of the unarmed, of women, of the old, and of the conquered."

At the very time when a battle was going on, be says, the neighboring cultivators might be seen quietly pursuing their work, - " perhaps ploughing, gathering for crops, pruning the trees, or reaping the harvest." Chinese pilgrim to Nalanda University, Hiuen Tsiang affirms that although there were enough of rivalries and wars in the 7th century A.D. the country at large was little injured by them.

Colonel James Tod, author of Annals and Antiquities of Rajasthan: or the Central and Western Rajput States of India South Asia Books; ; 2 edition (April 1998) ISBN 8120803809 wrote: "To spare a prostrate foe is the creed of the Hindu cavalier, and he carried all such maxims to excess."

What were the causes which led to the downfall of the Hindus? Why did the Indian states fall prey to the Muhammadan Turks in the 11th and 12th century?

King Asoka wanted to convert his empire into an open-air Buddhist monastery, at the expense of Hindu taxpayers whose interests in turn were marginalized. Buddhist principles derided martial prowess and criminally neglected the intrepidity and valor which fought for national independence. The excessive propaganda for unrestricted ahimsa which King Asoka carried on by his use of political authority throughout his empire, cut at the very root of the Indian empire.

For a few generations following Ashoka's demise, 'non-violent' Buddhists ate into the vitals of India's external defence, leaving the country vulnerable to a second wave of Greek attacks.

According to Priyadarshi Dutta:

"The Greeks, who had concluded a treaty with Chandra-gupta Maurya, moved in to Ayodha before the Kalinga King Kharvela repulsed them. Later Pushyamita Sunga assassinated the last Maurya King and salvaged India. Buddhism vanished from India as a result of Muslim onslaught because none of them had the liver of the likes of say, Guru Govind Singh. While Hindus and Sikhs resisted Muslim onslaught, Buddhist submitted en mass to Islam."

The Hindu defenders of the country although fully equal to their assailants in courage and contempt of death were nevertheless, divided among themselves. This division and disunion also enabled the crafty Turk invaders from the north to exploit the differences within the country. Hindus were more civilized and prosperous than the Turks. Moreover, the Turks had rude rigor of a semi-civilized barbarians who combined the fierce religious zeal of neo-converts. To spread their faith by conquest doubled their natural zest for battle and endowed them with the devoted valor of martyrs. In addition, the concept of ahimsa tended to create in certain sections of Hindus a deep abhorrence to all forms of violence.

The Bhagavad Gita's great message: that violence is sometimes necessary, if it flows from Dharma.

Non-violence in thought, word and deed is the ideal of the yogi, as the Gita points out. Violence is never an ideal in a civilized society, but it cannot be avoided. Rulers of society have to employ it for their preservation. Even this terrible action can be performed as selfless service when lawless societies (eg. Muhammadan Turks or Europeans who came to India as invaders) prey upon others out of greed.

The Bhagavad Gita's great message: that violence is sometimes necessary, if it flows from Dharma

For a warrior, nothing is higher than a war
against evil.
The warrior confronted with such a war should be pleased, Arjuna, for it comes as an open gate to heaven.
But if you do not participate in this battle against evil, you will incur sin, violating your dharma and your honor....

- Bhagavad Gita 2.31-33

Books used for this chapter

War in Ancient India - By V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar
'Six Glorious Epochs of Indian History' - By Veer Vinayak Damador Savarkar
German Indologists: Biographies of Scholars in Indian Studies writing in German - By Valentine Stache-Rosen.
Sword of Truth: Indian Marine Archaeology and its Historical Context - By Dr. Vijay Bedekar
The Art of War in Ancient India - By P. C. Chakravarti
Re-inventing a political Buddha - By Priyadarshi Dutta
Hindu America: revealing the story of the romance of the Surya Vanshi Hindus and depicting the imprints of Hindu culture on the two Americas - By Chaman Lal with foreword by Dr. S. Radhakrishnan. 3d ed. (LC History-America-E) 1966).

Next Tuesday, Part XIV of War in Ancient India

On This Day In History

Birthdates which occurred on October 05:
1703 Jonathan Edwards US, theologian/philosopher (Original Sin)
1830 Chester A Arthur Fairfield Vt, (R) 21st Pres (1881-85)
1840 John Addington Symonds Brit historian/writer (Probs in Greek Ethics)
1882 Robert Hutchings Goddard Worcester Mass, rocket pioneer
1902 Ray Kroc Illinois, founder of McDonalds/owner (San Diego Padres)
1908 Joshua Logan Broadway producer (South Pacific)
1919 Allen Ludden Mineral Point Wisc, TV host (Password)
1919 Donald Pleasence Worksop England, actor (Fantastic Voyage, Halloween, Will Penny)
1923 Philip Berrigan militant priest (Chicago 7)
1924 Bill Dana Quincy Mass, comedian/actor (Jose Jimenez)
1925 Gail Davis Little Rock Ark, actress (Annie Oakley)
1929 Richard F Gordon Jr Seattle, Capt USN/astronaut (Gemini 11, Apol 12)
1930 Pavel R Popovich Ukraine, cosmonaut (Vostok 4, Soyuz 14)
1937 Barry Switzer football coach (Oklahoma)
1941 Ricardo Hoffmann marathon swimmer (299 miles)
1943 Steve Miller Milwaukee, rocker (Abracadabra, Space Cowboy)
1948 Sal Viscuso Brooklyn NY, actor (Soap, Montefuscos)
1950 Jeff Conway NYC, actor (Bobby-Taxi)
1951 Bob Geldof pop musician (Boomtown Rats, Band Aid)
1951 Leah Poulos-Mueller US, speed skater (Olympic-gold-1980)
1952 Clive Barker producer (Hell Raiser)
1957 Jeanne Evert tennis player, Chris' sister
1958 Brent W Jett Jr Pontiac Mich, USN Lt Commander/astronaut
1959 Maya Lin, American architect who designed the Vietnam Memorial in Washington, D.C.
1962 Michael Andretti Indy-car racer/Auto Hall of Fame (elected 1986)
1965 Mario Lemieux Montreal, Pitts Penguin (#66) high scorer
1969 Karyn Parsons actress (Hilary-Fresh Prince of Bel Air)
1974 Douglas Emerson Glendale Calif, actor (Robbie-Herbie The Love Bug)

Deaths which occurred on October 05:
0578 Justinus II, Byzantine emperor (565-78),
1111 Robrecht II of Jerusalem Count of Flanders (1st Crusader), dies
1285 Philippe III, the Stout, King of France (1270-85),
1813 Tecumseh, Shawnee Indian chief/English Gen
1763 August III king of Poland, dies at 66
1787 Thomas Stone US attorney/signer (Dec of Ind), dies at about 44
1892 Bill Powers US member of Dalton gang, dies
1892 Bob Dalton US leader of Dalton gang, dies
1892 Dick Broadwell US member of Dalton gang, dies
1892 Grat Dalton US member of Dalton gang, dies
1941 Louis D Brandeis 1st Jewish Supreme Court Justice, dies at 84
1967 Clifton C Williams Jr astronaut, dies at 35, in T-38 jet crash
1981 Gloria Grahame actress (Sue-Rich Man Poor Man), dies at 55
1990 Meir Kahane founder of Jewish defense league, assassinated at 58
1992 Eddie Kendricks singer (Temptations), dies of lung cancer at 52

Reported: MISSING in ACTION

1965 BARRETT THOMAS J. LOMAX IL.
[02/12/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1965 HIVNER JAMES O. ELIZABETHTOWN PA.
[02/12/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1965 POGREBA DEAN A. THREE FORKS MT.
1965 SEEBER BRUCE G. LOWPOINT IL.
[02/12/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1966 ANDREWS WILLIAM RICHARD EUGENE OR.
[VOICE CONTACT WOUNDED REMAINS RETURNED 9/90]
1966 BEENE JAMES A. BURBANK CA.
[ACFT BROKE UP OVER WATER]
1967 MATHENY DAVID P. BAKERSFIELD CA.
[02/19/68 RELEASED]
1967 TRAUTMAN KONRAD W. OBERLIN PA.
[03/14/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1968 LAWRENCE GREGORY P. PHENIX AL.
1968 STRIDE JAMES D. JR. DENISON TX.
1968 WESTER ALBERT D. TERRELL TX.
1970 DAVIDSON DAVID A. EAST RIVERSIDE MD.
1970 GASSMAN FRED A. FORT WALTON BEACH FL.
1972 ALPERS JOHN H. JR. BOULDER CO.
[03/29/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1972 BATES RICHARD L. PLAZA ND.
[03/29/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]
1972 LATHAM JAMES D. MISSION HILLS KS.
[03/29/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE IN 98]
1972 LEWIS KEITH H. CLEVELAND OH.
[03/29/73 RELEASED BY DRV, ALIVE AND WELL 98]

POW / MIA Data & Bios supplied by
the P.O.W. NETWORK. Skidmore, MO. USA.

On this day...
0610 Heraclitus' fleet takes Constantinople
0869 4th Council of Constantinople (8th ecumenical council) opens
1450 Jews are expelled from Lower Bavaria by order of Ludwig IX
1813 Battle of the Thames in Canada; Americans defeat British
1862 Battle of Big Hatchie River, MS
1862 Federal fleet occupies Galveston, Texas
1863 Confederate sub David damages Union ship Ironsides
1864 Battle of Allatoona, 1/3 of Union troops die repulsing the South
1864 Most of Calcutta destroyed by cyclone (approx 60,000 die)
1867 Last day of Julian calendar in Alaska
1877 Nez Perce Chief Joseph surrenders to Colonel Nelson Miles in Montana Territory, after a 1,700-mile trek to reach Canada falls 40 miles short
1892 Dalton Gang ends in shoot-out in Coffeyville, Kansas bank holdup
1906 Henry Mathewson (NY Giants) walks 14 men
1908 Bulgaria declares independence from Turkey, Ferdinand I becomes Tsar
1910 Portugal overthrows monarchy, proclaims republic
1912 Yanks win final game at Hilltop stadium
1921 1st World Series radio broadcast, Yanks beat Giants 3-0 (World Series #18)
1921 Present constitution of Liechtenstein comes into effect
1922 Yanks & Giants play an infamous 3-3 tie world series game (World Series #19)
1923 Edwin Hubble identifies Cepheid variable star
1925 WSM-AM in Nashville Tenn begins radio transmissions
1931 1st nonstop transpacific flight, Japan to Wash (Herndon & Pangborn)
1941 Mickey Owens drops a 3rd strike, Tom Hendrick reaches 1st safely, would have been the last out, instead Yanks score 4 and win 7-4
1942 5,000 Jews of Dubno Russia massacred
1943 US air raid on Wake island
1945 "Meet the Press" premieres on radio
1947 1st Presidential address televised from White House-HS Truman
1953 50th World Series NY Yankees beat Dodgers, 4 games to 2, as NY
1953 Earl Warren sworn in as 14th chief justice of the US
1962 Beatles release their 1st record "Love Me Do"
1964 SF Fire Department Museum is dedicated
1965 Chuck Linster performs 6,006 consecutive push-ups
1965 Dick McInnes stays aloft almost 12 hours in a kite
1969 Tom Dempsey of New Orleans Saints kicks 55-yard field goal
1969 Monty Python's Flying Circus begins airing on BBC
1970 PBS becomes a network
1970 Quebec seperatists kidnap British trade commissioner James Cross
1972 Herbert Mullin first kills, to prevent earthquakes
1978 Isaac Bashevis Singer wins the Nobel Prize for literature
1981 Swedish diplomat Raoul Wallenberg becomes an honarary American
1982 Unmanned rocket sled reaches 9,851 kph at White Sands, NM
1983 Lech Walesa wins the Nobel Peace Prize
1984 13th Space Shuttle Mission (41-G)-Challenger 6-launched
1985 Grambling's Eddie Robinson wins record 324th football game
1986 London Sunday Times reports Israel is stocking nuclear arms
1988 Israel bans Meir Kahane's Kach Party on grounds of racism
1990 Cincinnati jury acquits art gallery of obscenity (Mapplethorpe photos)
1993 Pope John Paul II publishes encyclical Veritatis splendor

Holidays
Note: Some Holidays are only applicable on a given "day of the week"

Azores, Guinea-Bisau, Maderia, Portugal : Republic Day (1910)
Bulgaria : Independence Day (1908)
Indonesia : Army Day
Lesotho : Sports Day
Get Organized Week Begins
Mental Illness Awareness Week Begins
Family History Awareness Month

Religious Observances
RC : Commemoration of St Placid & his companions, martyrs
Christian : Commemoration of St Flora of Beaulieu, virgin
Feast of St. Flora of Beaulieu, Virgin, (A.D. 1347).

Religious History
0869 The Fourth Constantinople (8th Ecumenical) Council opened under Pope Adrian II in the West and Emperor Basil I in the East. During its six sessions, the council condemned iconoclasm. It was the last ecumenical council held in the East.
1744 Following his ordination, David Brainerd, 26, began three years of intense missionary labors among the Indians along the Susquehannah River in New Jersey. Increasing illness from the elements led to Brainerd's premature death, after only three years.
1833 Birth of William G. Tomer, American Civil War veteran and Methodist hymnwriter. It is to his tune, FAREWELL, that today we sing the hymn, "God Be With You Till We Meet Again."
1969 Death of Harry Emerson Fosdick, 91. He pastored Riverside Church in New York City 1926-46, and authored the enduring hymn, "God of Grace and God of Glory."
1989 Ten months after being indicted by a federal grand jury, televangelist Jim Bakker, 50, was found guilty on 24 counts of mail and wire fraud. Three weeks later, on October 24th, Bakker was fined $500,000 and sentenced to 45 years in prison.

Source: William D. Blake. ALMANAC OF THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1987.

Thought for the day :
"Never be afraid to sit awhile and think."

Gender Dictionary
Wants & needs (wontz and nedz) n.

female: The delicate balance of emotional, physical and psychological longing one seeks to have fulfilled in a relationship.

male: Food,sex and beer.

Lesser Known Breeds of Dogs - Cross Breeds
Newfoundland + Basset Hound = Newfound Asset Hound, a dog for financial advisors

The Ultimate Scientific Dictionary...
Polymer:
Many mers.

Things you would like to say at work, but won't...
And your cry-baby whiny opinion would be...?

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