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War in Ancient India c14: Appendix II: Flags in Ancient India

War in Ancient India c14

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Appendix II: Flags in Ancient India

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The origin and use of flags can be traced to the earliest Indian literature, the Ṛg Veda Samhitā. The term *dhvaja* occurs twice in this Veda.¹ Besides *dhvaja*, we meet with a good number of expressions for a banner in Vedic literature. These are Akra,² Kṛtadhvaja,³ Ketu,⁴ Bṛhatketu,⁵ Sahasraketu.⁶ It appears that the Vedic host aimed their arrows at the banners of the enemy. The idea was that once the banner was captured, or struck, a claim was made for success in the battle over the enemy. Ketu was a pennon small flag as contrasted with Bṛhatketu or the big flag. Sahasraketu may be a thousand flags or it may be interpreted as a knight who had brought under control a thousand flags of enemies. Ketu by itself may mean a hero or a chief. We are told that banners and drums were counted among the insignia of ancient Vedic kings. This tradition is seen in the Atharva Veda which has an unmistakable reference to a flag with the device of the Sūrya (the Sun God).

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¹ VII. 85.2: X. 103.11 (*Vedic Index*, I, p. 406).

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² I. 143.7: 3.1.12.

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³ 7.8.3.2.

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⁴ I. 27.12.

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⁵ V. 8.2.

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⁶ I. 119.1.

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The coupling of drums with banners is indeed significant. The drum represents music. It may be the music of the festival and festivities; or it may be war music. For the drum was used in those days for both purposes. So one has to infer that banners were used not only for military purposes but also as decoration on festive occasions. We are concerned here with the military use of the flag. It was at once a symbol and an emblem. It was not peculiar to the Indian nation. Every ancient nation, e.g. the Egyptian, Assyrian, Greek and Roman, had its own standards in different colours and devices. Every modern nation possesses its own flag. Britain is proud of her Union Jack and is prepared to stake its all for keeping it unimpaired throughout the British Empire. Turning to ancient India we find that there was no common flag in the sense in which we understand to day the term ‘national’. ‘There were a number of flags and the number depended upon the number of heroes or leaders in war. Every leader had his own insignia to distinguish one division from the other. This device avoided confusion in the ranks both during the march of an army and in action in the battle-field.’⁷ This is much in evidence in the epic *Mahābhārata*. In the battle-field of Kurukṣetra, one could see a number of flags. The following are some of the flags which distinguished the Pāṇḍava and the Kaurava heroes in that historic battle-field. The expressions standing for flags and banners in the epics were dhvaja, ketu and patākā.⁸ In the Droṇa Parva of the *Mahābhārata* to a question put by Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Sañjaya reports about the various flags and banners employed by the Kurus and the Pāṇḍavas. One full chapter (105)

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⁷ E. W. Hopkins, *JAOS*., 13, pp. 243 ff.

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⁸ *Mhb*., I. 63.17 : *Rāma*. II. 67.26.

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is devoted to it. Let us analyse it under the following heads:—

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| The name of the hero. | The Flag. |
| Arjuna | The Kapidhvaja or the flag with the figure of Hanumān (monkey) with monkey's face and a long tail, creating terror in the rank and file of the enemy (Cf. Ch. 85.4). |
| Aśvatthāma | Simhalāṅgūlam or the flag with the figure of the tail of a lion, radiating, golden in colour, and affording delight to the Kurus. |
| Karṇa | Hastikakṣaya—golden, and adorned with festoons and garlands flying aloft in the air. |
| Kṛpa | Gōvṛṣa—a representation of the bull. This is the device also of Śiva. |
| Vṛṣasēna | Mayūra—the device of a peacock. This is also the emblem of god Subrahmaṇya. |
| Śalya, king of Madras. | Sītadhvaja, auspicious and radiant. |
| Jayadratha or Sindhurāja. | Varāha or the boar emblem, white in colour. In the chariot adorned with this silvery flag, Jayadratha shone like Pūṣan of old in the Devāsura wars. |
| Bhūriśravas, the son of Sōmadatta. | The Yūpa flag—shone like the sun with the moon therein. It looked just like the yūpa in the Rājasūya sacrifice. |

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| The name of the hero. | The Flag. |
| Śala | The elephant standard white in colour—resplendent just like the flag of Indra, the king of gods. |
| Duryodhana | The serpent (Nāga) flag set with gold and gems. |
| Bhīṣma | Tāladhvaja: Cognisance of a palmyra tree. |

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Other references to flags of equally great heroes who took part in the Great War are found here and there.

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| Ghatotkaca | Cakradhvaja or the device of a chariot wheel (*Droṇa P.* ch. 23.76). Later on the emblem of eagle is said to have been his standard (*Ibid.* 91). |
| Droṇācārya | His was a representation of Kamaṇḍalu covered by deer-skin (*Ibid.* 83). |
| Bhīmasena | Simhadhvaja or the lion standard. The eyes were set with diamonds (*Ibid.* 84). |
| Yudhiṣṭhira | The Soma device—the moon resplendent with all stars and planets (*Ibid.* 85). |
| Nakula | Śarabhadhvaja—its back being gold but terrific in appearance (*Ibid.* 87). |
| Sahadēva | The Haṃsa or swan emblem with bells and festoons terrifying the enemy (*Ibid.* 88). |
| Abhimanyu | Śārṅgapakṣī dhvaja—golden in colour (*Ibid.* 90). |

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| The name of the hero. | The Flag. |
| The Paurava king. | Cognisance of a horn. |
| The Kalinga king. | Cognisance of Agni or fire. |

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It is said that in vanquishing Nila, Aśvatthāma cut off the bow, *dhvaja* and umbrella of the enemy by the three sharp *balla* instruments (Droṇa P. ch. 31.23). This shows that even in the epic period pulling down the flags in battle amounted to defeating the foe.

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In the *Rāmāyaṇa* we hear of the standard of Bharata containing the emblem of a Kovidāra tree. Even gods had their own streamers flying. Animals figure largely as emblems of these gods. Śiva's flag had the device of a bull,⁹ Viṣṇu's the device of Garuḍa or an eagle,¹⁰ Indra's the emblem of the sword, Kāma's the device of fish (makaradhvaja).

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⁹ *Br. Purāṇa*, III. 3.79.

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¹⁰ *Garuḍadhvaja*.

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Reference to flags of different kinds is found in the *Kalpataru*, Hemacandra's work, *Kriyāsāra*, *Pratiṣṭhāsāra saṅgraha*, *Sūta Saṃhitā*, and *Yuktikalpataru* and other works.¹¹

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¹¹ See in this connexion an article on ‘Flags in Ancient India’ by H. A. Talcherkar, *Modern Review*, August 1924.

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That every *vyūha* of the Mauryan army was distinguished by the device of *dhvajas* and *patākas*, besides the special musical instruments like *turya* is evident from the *Arthaśāstra* of Kauṭalya. It is said that these different divisions had their respective flags and banners whether they were in camp, in march or in active warfare.¹² It is not possible to show whether *dhvajas* and *patākās* connoted the same meaning of flags and banners or they stood for different varieties of standards. The fact that Kauṭalya uses the two terms together raises a doubt that *dhvaja* was different from a *patākā*. *Patākās* were possibly festoons which were a feature and adornment of an army and those were hanging in rows between two points of the army. The *patākās* were such an essential feature of the army in later times that the army came to be designated as *Patākini* by writers like Kālidāsa.¹³ Later on in suggesting remedies against the injuries of one's own army,¹⁴ Kauṭalya again refers to the trumpets, *dhvaja* and *patākā*, and suggests the preparation of a certain medicinal mixture which, when besmeared over these flags and banners, would tend to remove the poison at the very look, if their poisoning were in any way suspected. The *dhvaja* was evidently a flag attached to a pole on the war chariot.¹⁵ It was so much valued that the army became designated in the *Mahābhārata*, *dhvajani* and in Tamil *koḍiccenai*.¹⁶

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¹² Bk. II, ch. 33. The same idea is repeated in a later chapter dealing with *vyūhas* in general (Bk. X, ch. 6). Each *vyūha* had its own *tūrya-ghoṣa* and ensigns.

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¹³ *Raghu*. IV, 82.

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¹⁴ Bk. 14, ch. 4.

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¹⁵ Koḍitter of Tamil literature occurs twice in *Śilappadikāram* (XXII. 109; XXVII. 152).

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¹⁶ *Śilap*. XXVI. 152 comm. Again in the *Perumkadai* the term Koḍippaḍai occurs twice on pp. 139 and 369 (Swaminatha Aiyer ed. (1924) ). Here the term stands for the vanguard of the army as distinguished from the rear-guard which goes by the name Kūlai. (கூழை)

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It is interesting that different designs of flags and banners have been wonderfully carved in wood and stone and are carefully preserved at Sānchi, Bhuvaneśvara and Ajanta caves. A look at the wood cuts Nos. 164 and 165 of Cunningham’s Bhilsa Topes (p. 215) will demonstrate a beautiful carving of a flag as an oblong piece of cloth with or without diagonal stripes. A number of flag staffs are also seen. The use of flags meant also the use of the staffs on whose top the flag was generally let flown. The staffs were made of different wood, with a bias in favour of bamboo.

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The use of flags and banners was not a peculiar feature of the North Indians. The early Tamil kings of South India had their own standards. The emblem of their crests served as the sign of their banners. We hear of *kayal* (fish), *śilai* (bow) and *puli* (tiger) flag.¹⁷ In the Sinnamanur plates of Rājasimha Pāṇḍya, the Pāṇḍyan is designated as *mīnadhvaja*. The expression *Pulikkoḍiyon* (he who possesses the tiger flag) occurs again in the *Perumtogai* (1200). Besides the streamers attached to the chariots, the flags were also carried on elephants in Tamil warfare. Reference is made to this in several places in Tamil literary works, especially the *Puranānūru* (st. 9 and 38). Lofty standards of varied colours were placed on young war elephants which constituted an army. It is said that the white coloured flag was a sign of victory.¹⁸ That the flag signified victory in war is also seen in other works like the Maduraikkāñji,¹⁹ and Malaipaḍukaḍām.²⁰ Thus it was the South Indian practice to use the same emblem for both their seals and standards. That this was followed by later kings of South Indian dynasties can be seen from the Pallavas, Chālukyas and Vijayanagar monarchs. The Pallavas had the Vṛṣabhadhvaja or the Bull Standard. Boar flags were used both by the Chālukyas and the Vijayanagar kings.

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¹⁷ அடிநிற லொருவகிற் பரவுது மெங்கோன் றொடுகழற் கொடும்பூட் பகட்டெழின் பார்பிற் கயலொடு கலந்த சிலையுடைக் கொடுவரிப் புயலுறழ் தடக்கைப் போர்வே லச்சதன் றொன்றுமுதிர் சுடுவுலக முழுதுடன் ஒன்றுபு திகிரி யுருட்டுவோ னெனவே M. Raghava Aiyangar, *Perumtogai*, 15.

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¹⁸ விசய வெண் கொடி *Puram* 362, l. 5. விசயம் வெல்கொடி யுயரி *Mullai*, 91. வான்றோய் வெல்கொடி *Padirru*, 69. l. 1.

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¹⁹ வேறுபல் பெயரா வாரெயில் கொளக்கொள நாடோ றெடுத்த நலம்பெறு புணைகொடி நீரொலித்தன்ன நிலவுவெள் றுள்ளொடு புவைப்படக் கொன்று மிடைதோ ளோட்டிப் புகழ்செய் தெடுத்த விறல்சா னன்கொடி கள்ளின் களிநவில் கொடியொடு நண்பல பல்லேறு குழுஉக்கொடி பதாகை நிலைஇப் பெருவரை மருங்கி னருவியி னுடங்க *Madurai*, ll. 367-74.

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²⁰ மலைகீர், வென்றெழு கொடியிற் றோன்றும் *ll.* 581-2.

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Barring some of the seals which have the lion emblem, the Pallava cognisance was the bull, as testified to us by epigraphy and literature. In the inscriptions the Pallava king Rājasimha has the significant attributes Śrī Vṛṣabhadarpa and Ṛṣabha lāñcana. Parameśvaravarman I is styled as Vṛṣāṅka and Nandivarman Śākavaraketana. Of all the evidences the last is important for our purpose. Śākavaraketana is one who shines by his bull standard. This proves that the device for the seal and the flag was common also to the

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18. விசய வெண் கொடி *Puram* 362, l. 5. விசயம் வெல்கொடி யுயரி *Mullai*, 91. வான்றோய் வெல்கொடி *Padirru*, 69. l. 1.

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19. வேறுபல் பெயரா வாரெயில் கொளக்கொள நாடோ றெடுத்த நலம்பெறு புணைகொடி நீரொலித்தன்ன நிலவுவெள் றுள்ளொடு புவைப்படக் கொன்று மிடைதோ ளோட்டிப் புகழ்செய் தெடுத்த விறல்சா னன்கொடி கள்ளின் களிநவில் கொடியொடு நண்பல பல்லேறு குழுஉக்கொடி பதாகை நிலைஇப் பெருவரை மருங்கி னருவியி னுடங்க *Madurai*, ll. 367-74.

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20. மலைகீர், வென்றெழு கொடியிற் றோன்றும் *ll.* 581-2.

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Pallava and this was the bull. As if to corroborate this, in the *Prabandham*, Tirumangai Mannan expostulates the Pallava monarch

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viḍai ver koḍi vērpaḍai mun uyartta
(*Periya Tirumoḷi*, ii, 9.)

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an unquestionable reference to the victory-giving bull flag.

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When we come to the Chālukyas we find the device on their crest the *varāha* or boar. Their flag was known as *pāḷidhvaja*. Vinayāditya Satyāśraya won this decoration of *pāḷidhvaja* after vanquishing a northern king and subduing the Ceylon contemporary to the rank of a tributary ruler.²¹ What the *pāḷidhvaja* means is still a mystery. The explanation offered by J. F. Fleet as the banner of the sword-edge²² does not appear to be satisfactory.

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²¹ See the Vakkaleri Plates of Kirtivarman II—*Ep. Ind.*, Vol. V, pp. 201-203.

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²² *Ind. Ant.*, 1878, pp. 111 and 245.

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That the Vijayanagar kings used the boar crest and boar standard is also evident from the inscriptions and the Local Records. It is said in the chronicle of chiefs of Naḍimiḍoḍḍi Pāḷayam that king Kṛṣṇadēvarāya in his expedition against Gulburga beat the drum of victory and set up the *vṛṣabha dhvaja*.²³

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²³ Local Records, Vol. XXXIX, p. 12.

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The Marathas appear to have had two banners²⁴ Jaripaṭkā and Bhagavā zeṇḍā. It is doubtful whether both of them were used for military purposes. The latter, Bhagavā zeṇḍā, has been identified with Pārijāta-dhvaja attributed in literature to Sāmbhājī.

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²⁴ P. K. Gode's paper in *I.H.Q.*, Vol. XVI, pp. 40-47. ‘Aftagir was conferred by Shivaji on his generals and officers of lesser rank as early as the seventeenth century. Similarly the honour of carrying Jari Patāka, the golden standard conferred on distinguished

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Maratha generals, was also quite in accord with the Mughal custom.’ Surendranath Sen: *Administrative System of the Marathas* (1925), p. 639.

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