Public Administration in Ancient India c19.39

c19.39

This last verse is also to be found in Bhāsa’s Pratimā-Nātaka, where it is used in encouraging the soldiers on the battle-field.³ As a matter of fact, the people of Ancient India were very brave, and an appeal to their sense of honour was never made in vain. Courage was highly extolled and cowardice was strongly condemned in society. The historians of Alexander’s invasion bear ample testimony to this fact. The biographers of Hiuen Tsiang, alluding to the customs of the Mahārāshtra country, say: “He (the King) is fond of military affairs, and boasts of his arms. In this country, the troops and cavalry are well equipped and the rules of warfare thoroughly understood and observed. Whenever a general is despatched on a warlike expedition, although he is defeated and his army destroyed, he is not himself subjected to bodily punishment, only he has to exchange his soldier's dress for that of a woman, much to his shame and chagrin. So, many times, those men put themselves to death to avoid such disgrace." ¹