Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v2.c4.s9.80

v2.c4.s9.80

Little is known of Vedic warfare, but it seems to have been simple. A body of foot soldiers with charioteers composed every army, the two going together,⁵ and the foot soldiers being often overthrown by the charioteers,⁶ who were doubtless the Kṣatriyas and their foremost retainers. Probably the foot soldiers bore little armour, and used only the bow for offence, as is suggested by the account that Herodotus gives of the Indian contingent of the army with which Xerxes invaded Greece.⁷ The nobles, on the other hand, may have had cuirass (Varman), helmet (Śiprā), and hand-guard (Hastaghna) as a protection from the friction of the bowstring. On the car was the charioteer, and on his left the warrior (Sārathi, Savyasṭhā). Riding is never mentioned in war,⁸ and would hardly have been suited to Vedic ideas, for the warrior mainly depended on his bow, which he could not have used effectively from horseback. The offensive weapon (Āyudha) was practically the bow; spear and sword and axe were very seldom used.