Chandragupta Maurya and His Times c13.s1: Officering: Pattyadhaksha and Nayaka

c13.s1.1

The officering of the army was according to a traditional plan. For every 10 elephants or 10 chariots accompanied with 100 horsemen and 600 foot-soldiers, there was a commander called *Padika*; for every 10 *Padikas* or 100 elephants with 1000 horsemen and 6,000 infantry, or 100 chariots with the same number of horsemen and infantry, there was a commanding officer called *Senāpati* (like the Commander of a Division). Over these *Padika* or ‘Divisional’ Commanders (*Senāpatis*), there was a commanding officer called *Senāpati*. Over 10 such *Senāpatis* was an officer called the *Nāyaka* [X. 6]. It is apparent that the officering and command were based on the decimal system of computation. The entire infantry force will be under the control of the officer called *Pattyadhyaksha* [II. 33]. His duty is to distribute the various classes of soldiers among different places according to their respective fitness. He has to train up the infantry in fighting under different conditions, viz., (1) low and marshy land, (2) in high and dry land, (3) in broad day-light (*prakāśa*), (4) by strategy (*kūṭayuddha*), (5) in trenches (*khanakayuddhaṁ bhūmiṁ khātvā tatra sthitvā kriyamāṇaṁ yuddham*), (6) from high ramparts (*ākāśayudhaṁ prākārādikaṁ āruhya kriyamāṇaṁ yuddham*), (7) in day and (8) in night [*Ib.*]