[INDOLOGY] Warfare Documentation

[Dipak Bhattacharya]

Dear friend,
I hope you consulted the Asokaavadaana with its description of some willful
deficiency planned and also Kaalidaas's account of Raghu's campaign
Best
DB


On Thu, Aug 28, 2014 at 7:35 PM, Jarrod Whitaker <whitakjl at wfu.edu> wrote:

> Dear Colleagues:
> Does anyone know if we have a detailed account of an actual battle in
> terms of military organization and outcome in ancient India (c. 1500 BCE -
> 500 CE)?
> I am working on a paper on warfare in ancient India and the editors want
> details, if possible, on one particular war or operation.
>
> Let me be clear. I have examined all the relevant Sanskrit sources
> including Vedas, Sutras, Epics, and Manu, and drawn on general Buddhist and
> Jain views on warfare/violence (e.g., Ashoka's regret re. Kalingas, etc,
> though there may be more in these sources than I am aware). None of these
> sources document actual battles in any detail and much has to be inferred
> about military organizations, warfare, etc. Of course, the Arthasastra is
> our most detailed source on such issues, but it too has little on actual
> campaigns/encounters. I am interested in firsthand documentation of an
> actual battle/campaign, rather than anecdotal evidence/mention of wars
> (perhaps in the same vein as the Anabasis Alexandri by the Greek historian
> Arrian).
>
> I have a general sense that we just don't have such accounts, but want to
> make sure, if this is the position I commit to in the paper: here's
> hoping...
>
> Cheers
> Jarrod
>
> Jarrod Whitaker, Ph.D.
> Associate Professor, Asian Religions
> Graduate Program Director
>
> Wake Forest University
> Department of Religion
> P.O. Box 7212
> Winston-Salem, NC  27109
> whitakjl at wfu.edu
> p 336.758.4162
>
>
>
>
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