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ADMINISTRATION AND STATECRAFT
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skilled in executing the errands. They helped him find out the seditious or inseditious characters or delinquent and undelinquent persons among the subjects in collaboration with the secret emissaries. The king, however, moved incogni- to unobserved by any one during the nights, wielding his weapon in hand.
Hence Maulas or Hereditary troops as well as the hired troops were prone to be skilled in executing the command of the sovereign. They were supposed to be in confidence of the sovereign and their members were likely to remain in close proximity of his person.
According to Kautilya- the occasions for the employment of the hereditary and the hired troops are:
When hereditary troops are in excess of what is required for the defence of the base; or when hereditary troops being over-strewn with treasonable men, might create trouble at the base; or the enemy has plenty of loyal hereditary troops or a strong army (hence) it is necessary to fight with military operations; or because on a long march or on one long duration, hereditary troops can bear losses and expenses; or when plenty of loyal troops being got together, no trust can be placed in other troops, hired and other, through fear of secret instigations by the enemy against whom one is marching; or when the strength of all (other) troops is depleted; these are occasions for the use of hereditary troops.
(When he thinks), 'I have a large hired army and only a small hereditary army; or the enemy has small or disaffected hereditary army or a hired army consisting mostly of weak troops or without strong troops; or it is to be a fight with diplomacy with slight military operations, or the distance is short or duration brief, involving few losses and expenses; or my enemy is with few treasonable men in it, with secret (enemy) instigations frustrated and trustworthy; a small, raid of the enemy is to be repelled these are occasions for the use of hired troops. Because of their having the same feelings as the king and because of constant enjoyment of his regard (for them), hereditary troops are better than hired troops. Being always proximate to him, quick in
1. मूलरत्रणादतिरिक्तं मौलबलम् अत्यावापयुक्ता वा मौलाः मूले विकुवीरन्, बहुलानुरक्त मौलबल: सारबलो वा
प्रतियोद्धा, व्यायामेन योद्धव्यम्., प्रकृष्टेऽध्वनि काले वा क्षय व्यय सहत्वान्मोलानाम् बहुलानुरक्त संपाते च यातव्यस्योपजाप भयादन्यसैन्यानां मृता दीनामविश्वासे, बलक्षये वा संवसैन्यानाम् इति मौलबल कालः। प्रभूत मै मृतबल मल्पं च मौलवलम्, परस्यात्पं विरक्तं वा मैलबलं, फल्गु प्रयमसारं वा मृतसैन्यम्, मन्त्रेण योद्धव्यमल्पव्यायामेन हूस्वो देश: कालो वा तनुक्षयव्ययः, अल्पावापं शान्तोपजायं विश्वस्तं वा मे सैन्यम्, परस्याल्प: WART 104: Efa yaachac:KAŚ IX 2.2.3 p. 219 part I pp 474 475 Part II.
2. Ibid.
3. तद्भावमवित्वान्नित्यसत्कारनुगमाच्च मौलबल मूतबलात्छेयः।
