Warfare and Military System in Vedic Literature
by Rinki Deka | 2023 | 39,711 words
This page relates 鈥楩ortification and Siegecraft鈥� of the study on Warfare and the Military System of ancient India as gleaned from the Vedic Literature. The purpose of this work is to study the defensive and offensive systems of the Vedic people, including their army divisions, political and administrative systems, use of arms and armours, fortification, ethics and other principles related to warfare; while reflecting the social system and cultural aspects of ancient India.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Fortification and Siegecraft
The fundamental principles of fortification were known and practised as early as in the Vedic period. The oldest literary record of India, i.e. the 峁欢惫别诲补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻 refers to the fort.[1] The words pur and pura occur in the 厂补峁僪颈迟腻蝉[2] and later Vedic texts[3] in the sense of rampart, fort or stronghold. According to A.A. Macdonell and A.B. Keith, the purs were merely places of refuge against attack, ramparts of hardened earths with palisades and a ditch.[4] The word 诲别丑墨 is mentioned in the 峁欢惫别诲补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻,[5] which refers to defences thrown up against an enemy, apparently earthworks or dikes.[6]
S膩ya峁嚹乧膩rya interprets the term 补蝉鈥�
In the Vedic period, towns and settlements were protected by stone walls, both for strategic reasons and for the protection of the life and property from marauding bands in the neighbourhood. The city gates are mentioned in the 础迟丑补谤惫补惫别诲补辫补谤颈艣颈峁ａ弓补 also.[8] The king should keep weapons ready around the ramparts and surrounding the city. The word 腻尘腻 is mentioned in the 峁欢惫别诲补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻,[9] which according to Griffith, means the castles of the clouds as opposed to the stone strongholds of men.[10] The term 尘补丑腻辫耻谤补, great fort, occurs in the 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻[11] and the 础颈迟补谤别测补产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺.[12] The owner of pur is called 辫奴谤辫补迟颈.[13]
S膩ya峁嚹乧膩rya explains the term 辫奴谤辫补迟颈 补蝉鈥�
笔奴谤辫补迟颈, the chief of a fort under attack, might have been a ruler or governor or a regular officer, who was the commander of a permanent garrison. 笔奴谤辫补迟颈, according to J. Muir, might have been a ruler or governor or lord of a city or fortified place in a 峁歡vedic verse.[15] He was the lord of a city who ruled with good governance. Three fires are described as forts in the 础颈迟补谤别测补产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺, which prevent the Asuras from disturbing the sacrifice.[16] The Asuras took to fight at the sight of those forts. The forts were sometimes made of stone (补蝉尘补苍尘补测墨)[17] or sometimes made of iron (腻测补蝉墨).[18] The fortification must have been occasionally of considerable size, as one was called broad and wide (辫峁泃丑惫墨 and 耻谤惫墨).[19] A fort full of kine, called 驳辞尘补迟墨, is mentioned in the 峁欢惫别诲补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻, showing that strongholds were used to hold cattle.[20] Cities with hundred walls or fortification called, 艣补迟补产丑耻箩颈 are referred to in the 峁欢惫别诲补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻.[21] Of course, S膩ya峁嚹乧膩rya explains this word 艣补迟补产丑耻箩颈 as having countless walls.
He states鈥�
艣补迟补产丑耻箩颈bhi岣�/ 艣atamityaparimita苍腻尘补/ asa峁僰hy膩tabhogavadbhi岣� p奴rbhi岣� p膩lanai岣� jetavyai岣� 艣atr奴峁嚹佱箖 nagarairv膩/[22]
They are alluded to as figurative expression of the means of protection afforded by the gods. The autumnal forts are also referred to in the 峁欢惫别诲补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻.[23]
S膩ya峁嚹乧膩rya in this context says鈥�
艣腻谤补诲墨岣� sa峁僾atsara蝉补峁僢补苍诲丑颈苍墨岣� sa峁僾atsaraparyanta峁� pr膩办腻raparikh膩dibhird峁涐笉h墨k峁泃膩岣� 辫耻谤补岣� 艣atr奴峁嚹佱箖 辫耻谤墨岣� av膩tira岣� an膩艣aya岣�/[24]
Griffith interprets the autumnal forts as the strongholds on high ground occupied as places of refuge during the heavy rains, or 鈥榯he brilliant battlemented cloud-castles, which are so often visible in the Indian sky at this period of the year鈥�.[25] According to S膩ya峁嚹乧膩rya, autumnal forts are cities or strongholds of 艢补谤补迟, a demon.[26] There are references to the pur 肠补谤颈峁ａ箛耻 or moving fort in the 峁欢惫别诲补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻,[27] which may be an engine for assaulting strongholds, but sometimes it was like a kind of chariot. According to A.A.Macdonell and A.B. Keith, it may, like the Trojan horse, have been an Indian anticipation of the Roman means of assaulting a town.[28]
The sieges of forts are mentioned in the 厂补峁僪颈迟腻蝉 and the 叠谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉.[29] The fortresses, which were constructed of wood were sought to be destroyed by fire. 痴补颈艣惫腻苍补谤补 or fire has been described to have pierced the citadel of enemy.[30]
Commenting on the this, S膩ya峁嚹乧膩rya says鈥�
he vai艣v膩nara鈥�/ yat yad膩 p奴rave r膩j帽e 艣o艣uc膩na岣� 诲墨辫测补尘腻苍补岣� 辫耻谤补岣� tasya 艣atr奴峁嚹佱箖 辫耻谤补岣� darayan d膩rayan ad墨de岣� ajvala岣�/[31]
Agni also drove out the Dasyus from their hiding places by burning and blazing fiercely.[32] Indra, with the help of kindled fire, burnt up all their weapons that bore away 顿补产丑墨迟颈 and made him rich with kine and cars and horses.[33] Indra, the 膧ryan battle god, goes on from fight to fight intrepidly destroying fort after fort with strength.[34] He overthrows鈥� the non-膧测补苍 kings and rends their forts 鈥榓s age consumes a garment.鈥�[35] Therefore, one of his epithets is 辫耻谤补峁僤补谤补, i.e. fortdestroyer.[36]
S膩ya峁嚹乧膩rya interprets this word 补蝉鈥�
Griffith states that, Indra, with his lightning, destroys the cloud castles of the demons of the air.[38] Agni along with Indra, figures as a fort-destroyer,[39] and helps him to reduce ninety castles of the 顿腻蝉补蝉.[40]
Arrows tipped with flame were also used in siege 辞辫别谤补迟颈辞苍蝉鈥�
seneva s峁涐梗峁乵a峁� dadh膩tyasturna didyuttve峁prat墨 办腻 /yamo ha j膩to yamo janitva峁� 箩腻谤补岣� 办补苍墨 苍腻峁� 辫补迟颈谤箩补苍墨 苍腻尘//[41]
In this context, S膩ya峁嚹乧膩rya says that the term didyut means vajra, but here the term is used in the sense of 颈峁.[42] The 罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻[43] states that the Asuras had three citadels, the lowest was of iron, and then there was one of silver and then one of gold. The gods made ready an arrow, Agni as point, Soma as the socket and 痴颈峁ａ箛耻 as the shaft. Rudra cleft the three citadels and drove away the Asuras from these worlds.[44]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
峁欢惫别诲补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻 , 1.33.12, 1.53.7, 1.61.5, 1,63.7, 1.103.3, 4.16.1
[2]:
Ibid., 1.53.7, 1.131.4, 1.166.8, 3.15.14, 4.27.1
[3]:
罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 , 1.7.7.5 Also vide, 艢补迟补辫补迟丑补-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 , 3.4.4.3, 6.3.3.25
[4]:
Vide, Macdonell, A.A. & Keith, A.B., op. cit., Vol.1, p. 539
[5]:
[6]:
Vide, Macdonell.A.A. & Keith, A.B., op. cit., Vol.1, p 379
[8]:
puradvare 辫耻谤补办峁产丑补 indrak墨le janak峁ya岣�/ brahm膩yatanagh膩te峁 br膩hma峁嚹乶膩mupadrava岣�// Atharvaveda-辫补谤颈艣颈峁ａ弓补 , 58.4.2 Also vide, Ibid., 64.5.3,70.27.1
[9]:
腻尘腻su p奴r峁 paro apram峁涐梗ya峁� n膩r膩tayo vi na艣ann膩n峁泃膩ni /峁欢惫别诲补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻 , 2.35.6
[10]:
Vide, Griffith, R.T.H., op. cit., p.154
[11]:
罢补颈迟迟颈谤墨测补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻 , 6.2.3.1
[12]:
te 诲别惫腻 abruvannupasada up膩y膩mopasad膩 vai 尘补丑腻辫耻谤补峁� 箩补测补苍迟墨迟颈鈥�./ Aitareya-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 , 1.4.6
[13]:
mitr膩yuvo na 辫奴谤辫补迟颈峁� su艣i峁ａ弓au madhy膩yuva upa 艣ik峁nti yaj帽ai岣� /峁欢惫别诲补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻 , 1.173.10
[14]:
厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid.
[16]:
诲别惫腻 vai yaj帽amatanvata t膩峁僺tanv膩n膩n补蝉耻谤腻 abhy膩yan, yaj帽ave艣asame峁Ｄ佱箖 kari峁膩ma iti t膩n膩pr墨te pa艣au pura iva paryagnery奴pa峁� prati 辫耻谤补蝉迟腻诲耻辫腻测补峁僺迟别 诲别惫腻岣� pratibudhy膩gnimay墨岣� purastri辫耻谤补峁� pary膩syanta yaj帽asya c膩鈥漷mana艣ca guptyai, t膩 e峁Ｄ乵im膩 agnimayya岣� puro 诲墨辫测补尘腻苍腻 bhr膩jam膩n膩 ati峁ａ弓ha峁僺t膩 补蝉耻谤腻 anapadh峁涐梗yaiv膩p膩drava峁僺te鈥檊ninaiva purast膩d asurarak峁Ｄ佱箖syap膩dhnat膩gnin膩 辫补艣肠腻迟// Aitareya-产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺 , 2.2.1
[17]:
艣atama艣manmay墨苍腻峁� 辫耻谤腻mindro vy膩syat/ divod膩s膩ya d膩艣u峁// 峁欢惫别诲补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻 , 4.30.20
[18]:
agne g峁涐箛antama峁僪asa uru峁orjo nap膩tp奴rbhir腻测补蝉墨bhi岣� /Ibid., 1.58.8 Also vide, Ibid., 2.20.8, 4.27.1, 7.3.7, 7.95.1, 10.101.8
[19]:
[21]:
[22]:
厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid., 1.166.8
[23]:
惫颈诲耻峁ａ弓别 asya v墨ryasya p奴rava岣� puro yadindra 艣膩rad墨rav膩tira岣� s膩sah膩no av膩tira岣�/峁欢惫别诲补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻 , 1.131.4 Also vide Ibid., 1.174.2, 6.20.10
[24]:
厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid., 1.131.4
[25]:
Vide, Griffith, R.T.H., op. cit., pp. 91, 120
[26]:
艣腻谤补诲墨岣� 艣arann膩mno鈥檚urasya 蝉补峁僢补苍诲丑颈苍墨岣� sapta saptasa峁僰hya办腻岣� 辫耻谤补岣� 辫耻谤墨岣�../ 厂腻测补峁嘺, 峁欢惫别诲补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻 , 6.20.10
[27]:
峁欢惫别诲补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻 , 8.1.2-8
[28]:
Vide, Macdonell.A.A. & Keith, A.B., op. cit., Vol.II, p.417
[30]:
迟惫补诲产丑颈测腻 惫颈艣补 膩yannasikn墨rasaman膩 jahat墨rbhojan膩ni / vai艣v膩nara p奴rave 艣o艣uc膩na岣� puro yadagne darayannad墨de岣� // 峁欢惫别诲补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻 , 7.5.3
[31]:
厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid.
[32]:
tve asurya峁� vasavo ny峁涐箛vankratu峁� hi te mitramaho ju峁nta / tva峁� dasy奴rokaso agna 膩ja uru jyotirjanayann膩ry膩ya //峁欢惫别诲补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻 , 7.5.6
[33]:
sa pravo岣穐峁涐箾nparigaty膩 dabh墨tervi艣vamadh膩g膩yudhamiddhe agnau/ sam gobhira艣vairas峁沯adrathebhi岣� somasya t膩 mada indra艣ca办腻ra// Ibid., 2.15.4
[34]:
[35]:
Ibid., 1.53.8, 9, 1.54.6, 2.14.6, 4.16.13
[36]:
Ibid., 8.1.7,8
[37]:
厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid., 8.1.7
[38]:
Vide, Griffith, R.T.H., op. cit., p.65
[39]:
agne sa tva峁� 辫耻谤补岣� 腻蝉耻谤墨s迟颈蝉谤补岣� 辫耻谤墨岣� rurojitha bhagnav膩nasi/ yadv膩 tripuradahanas膩dhanabh奴te b膩峁噀鈥檊neran墨katven膩vasth膩n膩dagni岣� 辫耻谤腻峁噄 bhagnav膩nityucyate/ 厂腻测补峁嘺, 峁欢惫别诲补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻 , 6.16.39. Also vide, 峁欢惫别诲补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻 , 7.6.2
[40]:
indr膩gn墨 苍补惫补迟颈峁� puro d膩sapatn墨radh奴nutam/峁欢惫别诲补-蝉补峁僪颈迟腻 , 3.12.6
[41]:
Ibid., 1.66.8
[42]:
didyuditi vajra苍腻尘补/ tena c膩tre峁rlak峁ate/ 厂腻测补峁嘺, Ibid.
[43]:
[44]:
Ibid., 6.2.3.2