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The Political Institutions and Theories of the Hindus: A Study in Comparative Politics c11.t9: 9. "Peace Insurance" in Hindu India

The Political Institutions and Theories of the Hindus: A Study in Comparative Politics c11.t9

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English

9. "Peace Insurance" in Hindu India

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In this Maurya achievement of imperial nationalism is to be found the nucleus of the code of duties by which Vîra-sena,² the commander of the Sunga fortress on the banks of the Narmadâ, was guided towards the end of the second century B. C., as well as of the military manuals that were in use among the officers of the Vardhana General, Skandagupta, in the seventh century A. C. The curriculum of studies in the war-academies of Bengal under the administration of General Someśvara (ninth century) must likewise have accorded a prominent place to the military institutions and practices described by Kautilya. And these were no doubt adapted with modifications to the local conditions of the Gangetic Delta by Vallâla Sena's war-minister Hari-ghoṣa in the twelfth century.³

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² *Malavikâgnimitra*, p. 7.

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³ Banerji's *Memoir*, 106.

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For want of positive evidence it is not possible yet to single out a Gustavus Adolphus of ancient India as *the* genius of Hindu military science and art from among the score of "world-conquerors" down to the *Gaṅgâikonda* Chola (1013—1108). Nor can any of the extant Sanskrit texts on warfare and war-office be definitely fathered on one or other of the historic emperors, generals, or presidents of military colleges. But to all writers¹ on strategy, tactics, battle-array, fortification, and arms and accoutrements, whether for the *dhanur-vedas* and *nîti-śâstras*, or for the *Manu-Samhitâ* and the *Mahâbhârata*, the military and naval chapters of the *Artha-śâstra* must have been but the postulates of the science of warfare and national defense. And these every theorist had to accept as the A, B, C of his investigation on "world-peace", or as Stockton, the American militarist, would have it euphemistically, on "peace insurance".²

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¹ It must not be ignored, however, that some of the *ideas* and institutions described in the *Mahâbhârata*, the *Manu Samhitâ*, the *nîti-śâstras* and the *dhanur-vedas* may have been older than Kautilya. *Cf.* *Śukra-nîti*, Ch. IV, sec. vii. Note the relative proportion of the constituents of the army in lines 41—52, and the eight battle-arrays in lines 527—536; *J. A. O. S.*, 1889 (military tactics, pp. 192—219; chariots, pp. 235—262; cavalry, 262—265; Elephant riders, 265—269; weapons, 269—308). See the list of weapons in the *Râmâyana* (*Vâla-kânda*, Ch. XXVII). Some of these and other literary evidences have been used in P. Swami's pamphlet on *Warfare in Ancient India*, and in Banerjea's *Public*, 196—218. But such material has been avoided by the present author.

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² H. W. L. Hime's *Origin of Artillery*, pp. 74—85; E. A. Altham's *Principles of War*, Vol. I, p. 43; M. I. D. Cockle's *Bibliography of Military Books up to 1642*; Fiske's *Art of Fighting*, p. 47—49; Stockton, p. 203; The *Hindu Gîtâ* is cited by Maude in the introduction to Graham's translation of Clausewitz's *War*.

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The Civil Service.

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