Nitiprakasika (Critical Analysis)
by S. Anusha | 2016 | 34,012 words
This page relates ‘War Finance (Pay Structure)� of the study on the Nitiprakasika by Vaisampayana which deals primarily with with Dhanurveda, i.e., the science of war, weapons and military strategies of ancient Indian society. It further contains details on Niti-shastra, i.e., the science of politics and state administration but most verses of the Nitiprakashika deal with the classification and description of different varieties of weapons, based on the four groups of Mukta, Amukta, Muktamukta and Mantramukta.
War Finance (Pay Structure)
[Cf. ±·Ä«³Ù¾±±è°ù²¹°ìÄåÅ›¾±°ìÄå VII. 33-41]
In nine verses, ±·Ä«³Ù¾±±è°ù²¹°ìÄåÅ›¾±°ìÄå gives complete detail about the pay structure of those connected with military forces starting from the crown-prince down to the persons incharge of keeping the count of the soldiers. The table below provides the details in a brief form:
| Designation | Wages | Verse |
| ³Û³Ü±¹²¹°ùÄåÂáÄå (Prince) | 5000 varvas | [...] |
| ³§²¹°ù±¹²¹²õ±ð²ÔÄå±è°ù²¹á¹‡e³ÙÄå (Leader of army unit-Passive) | 4000 varvas | [...] |
| Atiratha | 3000 varvas | [...] |
| ²Ñ²¹³óÄå°ù²¹³Ù³ó²¹ | 2000 varvas | [...] |
| Rathika (Fighter on the chariot) | 1000 varvas | [...] |
| Gajayodhi (Fighter on the elephant) | 1000 varvas | [...] |
| Ardharatha | 500 varvas | [...] |
| Ekaratha | 300 ±·¾±Å›°ìÄå²õ | [...] |
| ³Ò²¹Âá²¹²õÄå»å¾± (Elephant warrior) | 300 ±·¾±Å›°ìÄå²õ | [...] |
| ³Ò²¹Âá²¹°ù²¹°ìá¹£a°ì²¹³Ü (Elephant guards) | 300 ±·¾±Å›°ì²¹²õ | [...] |
| ³§²¹°ù±¹ÄåÅ›±¹Äå»å³ó¾±±è²¹³Ù¾± (Superintendent of horses) | 3000 varvas | [...] |
| ±Ê²¹»åÄå³ÙÄå»å³ó¾±±è²¹³Ù¾± (Leader of infantry) | 2000 varvas | [...] |
| ±Ê²¹»åÄå³Ù¾± sahasrasya ²Ô±ð³ÙÄå (Lord of 1000 ±è²¹»åÄå³Ù¾±²õ) | 500 varvas | [...] |
| ´¡Å›±¹²¹²õ²¹³ó²¹²õ°ù±ðÅ›²¹ (Leader of 1000 cavalry soldiers) | 1000 varvas | [...] |
| ±Ê²¹»åÄå³Ù¾± (Foot-soldier) | 5 ²õ³Ü±¹²¹°ùṇa²õ | [...] |
| Åšatapatti adhipa (Leader of 100 pattis) | 7 ²õ³Ü±¹²¹°ùṇa²õ | [...] |
| ±á²¹²â²¹²âÄå²âÄ« (Horse-rider) | 7 ²õ³Ü±¹²¹°ùṇa²õ | [...] |
In the next three verses, ±·Ä«³Ù¾±±è°ù²¹°ìÄåÅ›¾±°ìÄå, (VI. 41-2) given the list of men receive 15 varvas as monthly pay: [...]
| ³Ò²¹Âá²¹²â²¹²Ô²â²¹²Ô³ÙÄå (Mahout) | [...] |
| ³§Äå°ù²¹³Ù³ó¾± (Charioteer) | [...] |
| Dhavajina (Flag-Bearer) | [...] |
| Cakrapa (Guard of wheel) | [...] |
| ±Ê²¹»åÄå³Ù¾±triÅ›ateÅ›a (Leader of 300 soldiers) | [...] |
| ±Ê²¹³Ù³ó¾±°ì´ÇṣṰù²¹³¦²¹°ù²¹ (One who covers 300 miles in a day on a camel) | [...] |
| ³ÕÄå°ù³Ù¾±°ìÄå»å³ó¾±±è²¹³Ù¾± (Leader of carriers of news of the enemies) | [...] |
| Vetripati (³§³Ù²¹´Ú´Ú–b±ð²¹°ù±ð°ù) | [...] |
| ³§Å«³Ù²¹â€�³¾Äå²µ²¹»å³ó²¹â€“V²¹²Ô»å³ó¾±²ÔÄå³¾ pati (Lord of bards) | [...] |
| ³ÕÄ«±¹²¹»å³óÄå»å³ó¾±±è²¹ (Controller of grains) | °Ú...±Õ–H±ð°ù±ð °Õ²¹³Ù³Ù±¹²¹±¹¾±±¹á¹›t¾± explains this as controller of grains–[...] |
| µþ³óá¹›t¾±»åÄå³ÙÄå (Controller of defence accounts) | [...] |
| µþ³ó²¹á¹a²µ²¹á¹‡a²Ô²¹±è²¹°ù²¹ (Soldiers’s numerical count tracker) | [...] |