SOAS Research Online

Abstract

In this thesis the writer has made a critical attempt to describe the art of war in ancient India, and indidentally to point out some of its glaring defects. For it is to those defects, more than anything else, that one must attribute the easy manner in which the Turks conquered northern India - in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The Introduction deals with the scope of the work and the main sources of information on which it is based. It also includes an examination of the published manuals on Dhanur-veda with a view to fixing their dates. The thesis itself consists of the following chapters: Ch.I - The Army and a general sketch of its composition - (a) the place of the army in Hindu political thought - (b) 'four-fold' (caturanga) division of the army - (c) the 'six-fold' (9ajlahga) division. Ch.II - Strength of armies maintained by Hindu states. Ch.III - The infantry - (a) historical putline, (b) equipment and armament. Ch.IV - The war-cars, (a) historical outline, (b) equipment and armament. Ch.V - The cavalry, (a) historical outline, (b) equipment and armament, (c) classification and training of horses. Ch.VI - Elephants, (a) historical outline, (b) merits and defects, (c) equipment and armament, (d) classification and training. Ch.VII -Naval warfare. Ch.VIII - Military espionage. Ch.IX - Some aspects of military administration, (a) recruitment of troops, (b) units of the army, (c) discipline, drill and exercises, (d) pay and emoluments, rewards and honours. Ch.X - Army on the march, (a) time for marching, (b) consultation with astrologers, (a) observance of religious rites, (d) order of march, (e) description of an army on the march, (f) transport, crossing of rivers etc. Ch.Xl. The camp. Ch.XII. Army in the field (a) importance of position, (b) battle-arrays, (0) conduct of battles, (d) some usages of the battlefield, e.g., encouragement of troops, war music, ambulance etc. Chain-Fortification and siegeoraft, (a) pre- historic - (b) in the fourth century B.C., (c) '14114ilya's conception of fortification (d) forts and strongholds from the Gupta period onwards (e) siegecraft.