War in Ancient India c5.s1.9

c5.s1.9

What was the curriculum of studies planned for the Kṣatriya, and how far was the plan executed? If we are to believe the tradition recorded in the *Raghuvamśa*, the education of the prince commenced in his third year, when he learnt from his teacher the alphabet (*lipi*) and numbers (*samkhyāna*).⁹ The *Arthaśāstra* of Kauṭalya prescribes a programme of studies¹⁰ which includes *trayī* or the three Vedas, *ānvīkṣiki* or logic, *vārta* or economics, and *daṇḍanīti* or the science of politics. It may be inferred that the higher studies were commenced at the age of eleven, if we are to believe the *Mānava-dharmaśāstra*.¹¹ It may be noted that experts in the various subjects of study were appointed teachers. It is of capital importance to note that *adhyakṣas* or heads of administrative departments and *vaktras* and *prayoktras*, expounders and administrators of law, were engaged to teach the warriors the secular sciences of economics and politics. The idea was to make the educational training as practical as it could be.