Page 4 - ch 1

Module - I Warrior System in Ancient India

Military History
conquest was also for personal glory and was also encouraged by the people. The
of Ancient India
advantages of a large empire under a King were as follows:-
 It created a sense of unity and brought people of different clans, with different
customs and traditions together under a King.

 A large empire also meant larger armies. Therefore, for an outside invader it was
Note always a difficult task to go for a battle.
 A large empire under one King unified the people and ensured all round
development of the society, both economically as well as culturally.

Our scriptures talk of the Aswamedha Yagna and Rajasuya Yagna, wherein the
emperor's horse was let loose to roam freely. Anyone who stopped the horse was
duty bound to wage a war against the emperor. If it was allowed to roam freely all that
land then the people were required to obey the laws, rules set by the emperor. This
was also a method to expand one's Kingdom. More importantly it was an idea of
obtaining glory and distinction. The performance of the sacrifice, Asvamedha and
Rajasuya, established supremacy of the ruler over a territory.

1.3.1 Weapons of War

Have you wondered what types of weapons were used by our ancestors? Dhanurveda
and Nitiprakaska are ancient scriptures which describe in detail, the types and
classification of weapons of war. Weapons were classified as per their use- those ones
that are thrown (bow and arrow), those ones that are not thrown (sword) and those,
which are used by mantra. Essentially, the sword, bow and arrow and the spear were
the main weapons.

Our ancient scriptures describe in vivid details the making of a bow and arrow as well
as the methods to use it correctly. The term Astra means a missile, which is thrown at
the enemy. There were other weapons such as gada (long handle and a spherical
head), parasu (battle axe) etc. Agneya Astra means a missile, which carries fire. The
arrow of an Agneya Astra also called an Agni Bana consisted of a heated head or an
arrow with fire on its tip. Such an arrow was more potent than a normal arrow.
Shukraniti (book on warfare by Shukracharya, an ancient guru) describes weapons of
fire. Ancient Indians knew how to make an explosive and firearms were used extensively
in battle. Ancient texts reveal that while gunpowder was known as 'Agnicurna', the
guns were called 'Nalastra'. The 'Shukraniti' describes how gun powder can be prepared
using saltpetre, sulphur and charcoal in different ratios for the use of different types of
guns. Such a gunpowder was used to project missiles and rockets at the enemy.

1.3.2 Laws of War

Indian military science recognizes two kinds of warfare - the dharmayuddha and the
Kutayuddha. Dharmayuddha is war carried on the principles of dharma, meaning here
the Ksatradharma or the law of Kings and Warriors. In other words, it was a just and

4 4
MILITARY HISTORY