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War in Ancient India c7.s1.t2: The Evidence of Arthasastra

War in Ancient India c7.s1.t2

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The Evidence of Arthasastra

c7.s1.t2.1

The *Arthaśāstra* mentions a special officer called the Superintendent of Chariots (Rathādhyakṣa) and lays down, in vexatious detail, rules regarding the sphere of his duties.²⁶ From the number and minuteness of these rules we may infer that by this time the business of supervising the chariots of the State had become so unwieldy as to require a special officer. According to the *Arthaśāstra* the normal height of a chariot was 10 *puruṣas* while its width ranged from 6 to 12 *puruṣas*. Six varieties of chariots are mentioned, of which three were used in war, one in the period of training, the second for marching towards the enemy, and the third in the theatre of operations. The chariots were two-wheeled, four-wheeled, and eight-wheeled. Each car was accompanied by ten or fifty elephants.²⁷ The duties of the officer in charge of the chariots were many and varied. He was to see that warriors were trained to fight from chariots. He was to maintain accounts relating to the construction of chariots, their establishment charges, and other things connected with his department.

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²⁶ Bk. II. 33.

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²⁷ *Mhb.*, *Udyoga*. 155. 15-24.

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The value of a chariot as a unit of the army was great. It could ably and effectively resist the attacks of the enemy, suddenly occupy positions of advantage and quickly abandon disadvantageous situations, easily rally the soldiers fallen into disorder, break through the ranks of the enemy, and threaten the enemy’s rear.²⁸

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²⁸ *Ar. Śās.*, Bk. X. 4; *Kāma*. 20.4; *Niti*. VI. 62.63.

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Megasthenes refers to the chariots as follows:— ‘The chariots are drawn on the march by oxen but the horses are led along by a halter, that their legs may not be galled and inflamed, nor their spirits damped by drawing chariots. In addition to the charioteer there are two fighting men who sit in the chariot beside him.'²⁹ It is of interest to note that chariots were drawn by oxen. It was realised that the special quality of the horse was not endurance, but speed, and that horses whose energies had been spent in marching would be useless in the field.

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²⁹ Frg. 34 (McCrindle). 30 *Yuddha*. 73.8. The *Atharva Veda* evidences a chariot yoked with she-mules (Bk. VIII. 8. 22). It is to be noted that the Babylonians used ass-drawn chariots from time immemorial. Hall: *The Ancient History of Near East*, p. 181 (1932). 31 IV. 7. 30-31. 32 For a description of a chariot warrior see *Mhb*. IV, 54. 10-22 especially st. 22. 33 *Ibid*., *Droṇa*. 112. 48. 34 Ch. 43.

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In addition to chariots drawn by horses there were others drawn by asses and bulls. The *Rāmāyaṇa* tells us that Indrajit’s chariot was drawn by mules.³⁰ The *Mahābhārata* refers to a war car drawn by sixteen white bulls. The employment of asses and bulls may also be attributed to the lack of suitable horses.

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