Cultural Study of Nisitha Curni

SR No.: 001743
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Madhu Sen
Publisher: Sohanlal Jain Dharm Pracharak Samiti Amrutsar
Publication Year: 1975
Total Pages: 432
Language: English, Prakrit
Classification: Book_English, Agam, Canon, & Literature
File Size: 23 MB

Page 61

POLITY AND ADMINISTRATION
41
against the crown, the State authorities constantly fighting among themselves, the cities being attacked, seized or burnt by the enemies, the villages forming a confederation to fight against a common enemy or uniting under a common fort, 4 the kingdoms being destroyed ( visaya-bhanga ) under the wake of State-dissension. All these circumstances make it apparent to assume that each village, town and kingdom had at least a limited amount of army for the protection of its people.
Four-fold Army-The army (sena or bala) of a king consisted of the traditional four arms ( cauranga )-infantry (paikka ), cavalry ( asa ), elephant-corps (hatthi ) and chariot-corps (raha ). No information regarding the formation of these units is given in the text. However, it appears that chariotcorps had ceased to play any important part in the warfare of this time. In none of the stories the chariot-corps are mentioned, while the others are alluded to." The chariots, however, were used for purposes other than warfare. The elephants and horses were trained thoroughly.9 The trainers of elephants and horses were called damaga, 1° while the mahouts were styled as mentha. 11 All the four departments must have been
1. Haffi TGHETAT-NG. 2, p. 419. 2. HTET HT467 lattal, TIFH T, TETEH TETEH -NG. 2, p. 428. 3. NC. 2, p. 423. 4. NC. 2, p. 419; also NC. 3, p. 163. 5. NC. 2, p. 187. 6. NC. 3, p. 321; also NC. 2, p. 455. 7. Tit TË FIER-NC. 3, p. 298. In the Aihole Jaina inscription Harsa is mentioned as possessing an army of well trained elephants
fajindranika (EI. VI, pp. 1-10). Although the chariot-corps (rahabala) is referred to in the NC. and the other contemporary Jaina texts, yet mention to them appears to be rather conventional. In the Harsacarita also the chariots are hardly ever mentioned (see-Altekar,
op. cit., p. 145; also Choudhary, op. cit., p. 372 ). 8. NC. 3, p. 99. 9. NC. 1, p. 3. 10. NC. 2, p. 469. 11. Ibid.