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FReeper Canteen ~ Part I: War in Ancient India ~ July 13, 2004
A Tribute to Hinduism.com ^ | July 13, 2004 | LaDivaLoca

Posted on 07/12/2004 7:59:57 PM PDT by LaDivaLoca

 
 

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Thank the Veterans who served in
The United States Armed Forces.

 
 

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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





TOPICS: Front Page News; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; Political Humor/Cartoons
KEYWORDS: ancientindia; canteen; freepercanteen; india; war
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub; tomkow6; MoJo2001; Bethbg79; HiJinx; LaDivaLoca; beachn4fun; ...

U.S. Army Sgt. James Stamper with the 369th Engineer Detachment greets his father, James Stamper, left, on his return to Yeager Airport in Charleston, W.Va., after a deployment to Iraq. Courtesy photo

U.S. Army Sgt. James Stamper with the 369th Engineer Detachment hugs his mother, Cindy Snyder, on his return home from Iraq. Courtesy photo

321 posted on 07/13/2004 6:20:11 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska (God Bless America and Our Troops Who Protect Her)
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub; tomkow6; MoJo2001; Bethbg79; HiJinx; LaDivaLoca; beachn4fun; ...

U.S. Army Sgt James Stamper, 369th Engineer Detachment, hugs his brother Robbie Stamper upon his arrival at Yeager Airport in Charleston, W. Va., after coming home from Baghdad. Courtesy photo.

322 posted on 07/13/2004 6:22:13 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska (God Bless America and Our Troops Who Protect Her)
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub; tomkow6; MoJo2001; Bethbg79; HiJinx; LaDivaLoca; beachn4fun; ...

Seen through a night vision device, parachutes holding supplies float to the ground after being dropped from a Marine KC-130R Hercules. The resupply drop was coordinated by the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable), and delivered supplies to one of its rifle companies conducting combat operations in central Afghanistan. Photo by: Lance Cpl. Charles G. Poag

Combat drop keeps Alpha Company, BLT 1/6 in the fight

Submitted by: 22nd MEU

Story Identification #: 20047130752
Story by Sgt. Matt Preston

FORWARD OPERATING BASE RIPLEY, Afghanistan (July 13, 2004) -- Marines in combat still need supplies, so when a company from the 22nd Marine Expeditionary Unit (Special Operations Capable) needed it most, help came from a rare place ... 450 feet above their heads.

Marine KC-130Rs supporting the 22nd MEU (SOC) recently air-delivered food and water to Alpha Co. Battalion Landing Team 1st Bn., 6th Marines in the mountainous area of central Afghanistan.

Because the MEU's other aviation assets were needed elsewhere, the MEU decided to perform a rarely done operation to keep the company in the fight - a night containerized delivery.

Flying at night has become second nature to the KC-130R detachment. Nearly every night they make fuel and supply runs to Forward Operating Base Ripley, home of the 22nd MEU.

In the drops supporting Alpha Co., the KC-130R team dropped a total of sixteen containers, each weighing about 1500 lbs. over two missions. Aerial drops into combat zones have been around since Vietnam.

"It's something that's been in our tactical manual for quite a long time," said Capt. Peter Munson, of Cleveland, Ohio. Munson is the MEU Command Element's KC-130R liaison officer.

However, doing it in the dark is a new twist that has only recently been done in Iraq. This is the first time it's been done in Afghanistan.

"We just recently started working with night vision goggles in the fleet," said Munson. Munson stressed that they must be able to fly using night vision devices, as sometimes the mission dictates night flying.

Marine pilots actively train for such missions, qualifying semi-annually. During an actual drop, the KC-130R descends to approximately 450 feet above the ground. The rear ramp is lowered and the crew chief and his team in the cargo hold release the locks holding the cargo in the bay. The pilots then raise the nose of the aircraft and increase power as the aircraft tilts upwards. This allows gravity to take over, and the cargo rolls out of the bay and eventually to the ground. Parachutes quickly deploy from the cargo, slowing the package down just enough to prevent damage as it hits the ground below. Once all the containers have been dropped, usually in one run, the aircraft levels off and is on to its next mission.

The rest of the story

323 posted on 07/13/2004 6:47:13 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska (God Bless America and Our Troops Who Protect Her)
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub; tomkow6; MoJo2001; Bethbg79; HiJinx; LaDivaLoca; beachn4fun; ...

PLANNING THE FUTURE — U.S. Marine Corps Lt. Col. B.P Mccoy, Commanding Officer, 3rd Battalion 4th Marines, 1st Marine Division, listens to Sheiks from Anah talk about future plans at the police station in Anah, Iraq. 1st Marine Division, in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom II, is engaged in Security and Stabilization Operations in the Al Anbar Province of Iraq. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. Kevin C. Quihuis Jr.

324 posted on 07/13/2004 6:48:57 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska (God Bless America and Our Troops Who Protect Her)
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub; tomkow6; MoJo2001; Bethbg79; HiJinx; LaDivaLoca; beachn4fun; ...

BABYLON, New York, July 2--Coast Guard Boatswains mate 3rd Class Mike Shepard (l), 21 of Delran, N.J. and Boatswains mate 3rd Class Clayton Stout, 24 of Lewiston, Idaho assist recreational boaters from Stony Brook, N.Y. as they stand next to their boat after the driver went aground on the Oak Beach Inn Shoal near Babylon, N.Y. while operating in foggy conditions July 2, 2004. The Coast Guard boarded and warned the driver approximately ten minutes prior to the grounding to slow down until the foglifted. During this holiday weekend, the Coast Guard will board thousands of vessels nationwide in hopes to educate the boating public to avoid these kinds of dangers. USCG photo by PA2 Mike Hvozda

325 posted on 07/13/2004 6:51:33 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska (God Bless America and Our Troops Who Protect Her)
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To: All

IPW has started a new gallery featuring poster-style artwork by our artist, Linda Eddy

As with our political cartoons, we'd like to see these used to promote conservative causes.
Please use the artwork for noncommercial purposes only.

[NOTE: a photo of this young Afghanistan girl is posted on a thread on Free Republic]


326 posted on 07/13/2004 6:58:38 PM PDT by IPWGOP (I'm Linda Eddy, and I approved this message... 'tooning the truth!)
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To: Kathy in Alaska
Great pics there, Kathy ! Thanks.

327 posted on 07/13/2004 6:58:46 PM PDT by MeekOneGOP (There is only one GOOD 'RAT: one that has been voted OUT of POWER !! Straight ticket GOP!)
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To: minor49er
"After you left early yesterday to go to your grandmother's funeral, she stopped in to see you."

Very good, minor. Off to email.

328 posted on 07/13/2004 7:06:26 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska (God Bless America and Our Troops Who Protect Her)
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To: IPWGOP

Freedom Matters!


329 posted on 07/13/2004 7:07:59 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (Thank You President Bush)
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To: MeekOneGOP

Hi Meekie!


330 posted on 07/13/2004 7:09:32 PM PDT by 68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub (I just pay rent, the cats, goat and dog let me live here.)
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To: beachn4fun

331 posted on 07/13/2004 7:11:03 PM PDT by Smartass ( BUSH & CHENEY IN 2004 - Si vis pacem, para bellum - Por el dedo de Dios se escribió.)
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To: USVet6792Retired

My goodness, USVet....that's a pretty handy way to relieve jelly fish sting pain; more handy for some than others. LOL!!


332 posted on 07/13/2004 7:12:23 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska (God Bless America and Our Troops Who Protect Her)
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To: Lady Jag

I will accept your offer to pass a message on to Ms. B!! Please tell her she is missed and we can't wait for her to come back!!

And please deliver a hug to her from the trussell family!!


333 posted on 07/13/2004 7:12:23 PM PDT by trussell (If stupidity was actually painful, some people would be on a permanent lidocane drip.)
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To: Kathy in Alaska

Hi Ma!!
Love this pic.
You are finding lots of great pictures tonight, thank you so much.

334 posted on 07/13/2004 7:15:45 PM PDT by Soaring Feather
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To: NNEWBURY

Hi NNEWBURY,Thank you for caring about our troops,mend fast,fatima


335 posted on 07/13/2004 7:19:57 PM PDT by fatima (My Granddaughter Karen is Home-WOOHOO We unite with all our troops and send our love-)
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To: LaDivaLoca

http://www.bouldernews.com/bdc/state_news/article/0,1713,BDC_2419_3031662,00.html

Iraqi kitten reunites with Fort Carson soldier

By Associated Press
July 12, 2004

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — A cat named Pvt. Hammer has rejoined one of the Fort Carson soldiers who adopted him in Iraq, thanks to an organization named Alley Cat Allies that raised $2,500 for shots, sterilization and a plane ride to the United States.

"Only my husband would go to this extreme for a cat," said Sheri Bousfield, wife of Staff Sgt. Rick Bousfield of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team.

The tabby cat was adopted by the brigade's Team Hammer after he was born last fall at a base in Balad, 50 miles north of Baghdad.

The soldiers, who named Hammer after their team, would tuck him under their body armor during artillery attacks. Hammer would catch mice in the mess hall — that earned him a promotion to private first-class — and help soldiers beat the blues.

"He was a stress therapist," Rick Bousfield said. "The guys would come back in tired and stressed. Hammer would come back and bug the heck out of you. He wiped away some worries."

When Bousfield learned his unit was leaving Iraq in March, he decided he couldn't leave Hammer behind. He e-mailed Alley Cat Allies, a national clearinghouse on stray cats, for help.

(snipped - click link for full article)

Bousfield met the cat at the airport and took him to his Colorado Springs home. The Bousfields and their three children have four other cats, a dog, hamsters and two geckos.


336 posted on 07/13/2004 7:24:40 PM PDT by Tamzee (Flush the Johns before they flood the White House!)
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To: LaDivaLoca
Could someone point me to a single post, other than the original post, that addresses the putative topic? I haven't seen one, but allow me to be first.

This sentence interest me:

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.

By "Sargon I" I assume they mean Sargon of Akkad (c. 2300 B.C.). What evidence is there that literate Indian culture existed at that time? And if a non-literate civilization is being cited, why compare it to the time of Sargon? Why not Ubaid culture or earlier? I don't get understand the comparison.

The Assyriologist I. Gelb proposed (and it has been generally accepted since) that the land called "Meluhha" in early cuneiform texts was the northern shore of the Arabian sea, perhaps as far as the Indus valley. The immediate descendants of Sargon claim to have defeated Meluhha repeatedly. Is there literary evidence from India about that time? And if so, do they address such military conflicts?

337 posted on 07/13/2004 7:25:35 PM PDT by Fifth Business
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To: Tamsey
Hammer from above article...


338 posted on 07/13/2004 7:26:33 PM PDT by Tamzee (Flush the Johns before they flood the White House!)
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To: 68-69TonkinGulfYatchClub; tomkow6; MoJo2001; Bethbg79; HiJinx; LaDivaLoca; beachn4fun; ...

An American soldier and Iraqi police stop traffic as a U.S. military convoy passes through a busy intersection in Baghdad, Iraq Tuesday, July 13, 2004. (AP Photo/Khalid Mohammed)

A U.S. Army soldier with the 1st Cavalry secures the scene of an accident involving a military Humvee and a civilian automobile on a highway in southern Baghdad, July 13, 2004. Three U.S. soldiers were slightly injured in the accident, said an Iraqi police officer on the scene. REUTERS/Ali Jasim

339 posted on 07/13/2004 7:26:58 PM PDT by Kathy in Alaska (God Bless America and Our Troops Who Protect Her)
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To: Fifth Business
get understand = get understand

sorry

340 posted on 07/13/2004 7:28:45 PM PDT by Fifth Business
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