Public Administration in Ancient India c18.9

c18.9

Foot-soldiers were of various classes. Chānakya classified them as regulars (maula), hired soldiers (bhṛita), those supplied by fighting corporations (śreṇi), those recruited from the enemies' country, those recruited from the country of an ally, and lastly, those recruited from amongst wild tribes.¹ The best army, in the opinion of Chānakya, is that which has come down from father and grandfather, which is constant, obedient, contented, not averse from making long sojourns, everywhere invincible and possessed of the power of endurance, which has received a training in all kinds of warfare and has fought in many battles, which is ready to follow the fortunes of the monarch whether in weal or in woe, and which consists mainly of Kshatriyas.²