History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.458.2

v4.c62.458.2

By śreṇī-bala he has in mind the organized bands of soldiers to whom he refers elsewhere as 'vārtāśastropajīvinaḥ' (vide p. 89 above). As it is not unlikely that members of trade-guilds either themselves learnt the profession of arms or engaged soldiers for the protection of their merchandise and property, these could be pressed into his service by a king in case of need and were distinguished from the hereditary army and hired troops as 'śreṇī-bala'. Differing from the *ācāryas* that troops composed of brāhmaṇas, kṣatriyas, vaiśyas and śūdras are superior for enlistment in the order of the castes, Kauṭ. holds that an army of kṣatriyas well-trained in the wielding of arms or an army of vaiśyas and śūdras having greater numerical strength is better than an army composed of brāhmaṇa soldiers, since an enemy may win over the latter army by prostrating himself before them.²⁶⁵ Vide H. Dh. vol. II. pp. 122-123 for discussion on the question whether brāhmaṇas could become soldiers. In Udyogaparva 96. 7 (cr. ed. chap. 94) it is said that king Dambhodbhava every day asked in the morning whether there was any śūdra, vaiśya, kṣatriya or brāhmaṇa equal or superior to him in armed conflict. That shows that soldiers of castes other than kṣatriyas were not unheard of in the Epic age. Kām. IV. (63, 65, 67) says that the hereditary army (pitṛ-paitāmaha) should consist mostly of kṣatriyas. In the Maliya copperplate of Mahārāja Dharasena II (252 Valabhi saṁvat i. e. 571-72 A.