[INDOLOGY] Warfare Documentation

[George Hart]

There is a great deal of information on warfare in Sangam literature — how weapons are kept, description of battles (though not as detailed as one might like), the use of drums during warfare to summon fighters and to accompany fighting, as well as many descriptions of cattle raids, which seem to have been extremely common.  There are also described some rituals before and after battle.  I think the details given in the Sangam texts are far more real and less idealized than the conventional descriptions in poets like Kālidāsa and Kampaṉ.  George Hart

> On Aug 28, 2014, at 9:52 AM, Dipak Bhattacharya <dipak.d2004 at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> 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 <mailto: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 <mailto:whitakjl at wfu.edu>
> p 336.758.4162
> 
> 
> 
> 
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