The State in Ancient India: A Study in the Structure and Practical Working of Political Institutions in North India in Ancient Times c13.21

c13.21

threatened Pāṭaliputra, defeated Puṣyamitra, reduced him to vassalage at least for a short time and carried his arms up to the foot of the Himālayas. The Hāthigumphā Inscription, which commemorates his exploits and achievements year by year and which now ranks among the most important sources of information regarding ancient India, supplies a few details of administrative importance.¹ Kaliṅga was not yet part of India proper according to the orthodox computation. Khāravela is spoken of as attacking Bhāratavarṣa. Like the Maurya, Khāravela seems to have carried out a census of the population. The inscription puts the population of Kaliṅga at 3½ millions. Considering the figure along with those of armies of various kings mentioned in history and examining the whole data in the light of modern statistics, the whole of India in ancient times seems to have comprised about 100 millions of souls. The education of a prince in Kaliṅga comprised a wide course—state correspondence, currency, state-accounting, law and custom, Dharma injunctions and "all the Vidyās (arts)." Khāravela seems also to have been taught music. After his 15th year Khāravela was appointed Yuvarāja and consecrated king in his twenty-fourth year according to the rites of the Mahārājya Abhiṣeka. It is possible that in Kaliṅga, and it may be, in some other parts of the country, the formal consecration was delayed until years of majority. The king assumed several titles—Aira (probably Ārya), Mahārāja, Mahāmeghavāhana, and Kaliṅgādhipati.² This is the first authentic case of a king assuming lofty titles—titles which became loftier still a few centuries later. The capital was a grand city. Khâravela repairs its walls, gates and buildings which had been damaged by a storm, rebuilds the reservoirs and restores the gardens. On the banks of the Prâchi the king built a great ‘palace of victory’ at a cost of 35 lacs. At the conclusion of a dazzling campaign, he built towers, with richly-carved interiors, to contain trophies and presents. Like the Mauryas, the Kalinga kings attended to the needs of irrigation. Khâravela extended a canal which the Nandas had excavated three hundred years before. The king was anxious to please his subjects and win their loyalty. Khâravela entertained the capital by songs, music, dances, theatres, other shows and festivities. One of the interesting celebrations consisted in leading statues of the king’s predecessors in procession. His charity was as unstinted as that of the great Mauryan conqueror of his patrimony. The record of the ninth year of his reign mentions his costly gifts. He gave a kalpa tree, a tree of solid gold, with leaves of gold, accompanied by feasts and gifts of elephants, horses, chariots with drivers, to Brâhmaṇas. The qualification of Brâhmaṇas shows the toleration and catholicity of the Jaina king’s policy. He made special provision for the dwelling of Kṣatriya ascetics. He does something (which the mutilated inscription does not enable us to specify) for the Śramaṇas. Like Aśoka he prides himself on the respect he paid to all sects. Yet he had some enthusiasm for his own faith. He built numerous Jaina temples. He took pains to recover from Magadha the foot-marks of the first Jina which king Nanda had taken away. Khâravela’s army consisted, as usual, of infantry, cavalry, elephants and chariots. In spite of his military activities and glories, Khâravela calls himself King of Peace and Prosperity, the Dharma King, the Bhikṣu (King). Warfare, in fact, was looked upon as an ordinary incident of kingship and did not seem to detract from one's claim to be regarded as peaceful.¹