Dooley 1

Corey Dooley
Professor Thomson
Hist 134
4 December 2016
Military Tactics of Ancient India
The Mauryan Empire was a nation that ruled over eastern and northern India during 322
BCE until 185 BCE. Like most of the empires during this time the Mauryans had an emperor.
One of the most known emperors was Ashoka who led them in the battle of Kalinga which was
one of the bloodiest battles the Mauryan empire has ever been a part of. The Mauryan empire
began to conquer their way across northern India and into the east with ease. Some of this
success was attributed to their leaders, but what played an even bigger role in the Mauryans
military success was their militaristic tactics and use of weaponry.
One of the most useful weapons used during this time by the Mauryans that many people
forget about is the use of the war elephant. The advantage of having elephants in war was, An
elephant charging into a group of soldiers or horses could decimate a formation. Thats assuming
the sheer psychological impact of watching a giant war beast with pointed tuskscharging and
shrieking like murder incarnatedidnt first cause the opposing force to flee in terror(Knodell).
Elephants could win a battle for this empire before any shots were fired from either side by
scaring away the Mauryans opponents. Also the use of these great mammals to destroy the
opponent's formation helped clear a pathway for soldiers on foot to attack. Any game plan that
the opposing side was thrown off when it came to war with these beasts. Elephants werent just
used for intimidation and walking through formations, but also for, They could smash
fortifications, impale people on their tusks, and stomp people to death under their huge feet and

Dooley 2

enormous weight(Knodell). These elephants were also very intelligent and were soldiers
themselves. They were capable of killing enemies, and destroying enemy lines while using their
tusks as weapons. For the opponents who did not have elephants as a resource for battle it was a
pretty one sided war. During these times elephants were also used for transportation of
equipment, and would also used to haul materials for construction projects. This is one of many
militaristic tactics used by the Mauryan empire.
Another militaristic aspect that the Mauryans took advantage of was the chariot. These
chariots were not like most of this time, Indian chariots were nothing like the light, sleek
chariots of Egypt. They were massive, made of wood and iron, and intricately decorated in gold.
They had four wheels, and typically held two men-the charioteer, and an archer who also had a
weapon for hand to hand combat(Gorkhali). These chariots could go through enemy lines and
fire arrows without being touched. Some chariots could hold up to seven people and were pulled
by up to six horses that were not only fast, but able to swiftly move throughout the crowds of
battle. With these chariots they were able to trample their enemies with the wheels of the
chariots, and the horses hooves. While this was happening archers were firing into the crowd
taking out their enemies. Chariots unknowingly played a big role in the success of the Mauryan
empire's military.
Another aspect that helped carry the Mauryan empires military were the soldiers and
rulers themselves. For example, The bulk of the Indian army, and most other armies in the
world, were the infantry, or foot soldiers. The infantry were equipped with a huge variety of
weapons, which differed hugely across India. Probably the most common weapon was the
sword(Gorkhali). The most common weapon used during these times were swords and archery
weapons, but during this time there were many different types of swords. Another reason for

Dooley 3

success was the planning of war formation for these battles, and the leadership. Most people
dont know that, India was one of the first nations to implement tactics, divisions, and
formations. Armies did not simply rush out onto the battlefield; there were commanders who
carefully put their massive armies in intricate formations. Some formations were: Chakra (wheel)
Vyuha, Suchi (needle) Vyuha, Chayana (hawk) Vyuha and Mala (garland), and Garuda (eagle).
Another one was the lotus formation, where the archers would be on the inside, and the infantry
and cavalry would be arranged like a lotus flower, protecting them(Gorkhali). All of these
planned formations caught the opposition off guard which caused numerous victories. Other
opponents may have had formations, but nothing as planned or intricate as that of the Mauryans.
Without these formations, planned attacks, and soldiers the Mauryans would have been just like
any other army of their time.
The Mauryan empire has lots of aspects that came together as one to create a dominant
empire and army. They had great leadership such as Ashoka who led them to victory at the battle
of Kalinga. They also had the biggest war weapon of the time, elephants, to completely destroy
enemy lines along with chariots. When it came to their soldiers their archers played a major role
in doing damage from the top of elephants and from the chariots. Finally their most powerful
military attribute was their commanders who designed special tactics and formations that not
only were used for attacks, but also for a great defense.

Dooley 4

Bibliography
Basu, Anindita. "Mauryan Empire." Ancient History Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.
Annotation: Anindita Basu is a technical writer and editor who has a fascination with history and
has studied a lot about ancient india. This article by her is good for research on not only the
Mauryan Military but their whole history.
Knodell, Kevon. "Battle of the Dumbos: Elephant Warfare From Ancient Greece to the Vietnam War."
War Is Boring. N.p., 25 Mar. 2014. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.
Annotation: Kevin Knodell has studied the use of elephants during the ancient times. This whole
article pertains to elephant warfare from ancient India as well as ancient greece. Talks about all
contributions elephants made during these times.
"TimeMaps." TimeMaps Atlas of World History. N.p., n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.
Annotation: Article that gives a background on the whole Mauryan empire from its start all the way to
its religion, to its military to its downfall.
Gorkhali. "Military History Of Ancient India." Military History Of Ancient India - All Empires. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 04 Dec. 2016.
Annotation: This whole article is a good reference to all of ancient Indias warfare and tactics.
Askari, Mitch. "The Mauryan Empire Military." Weapons and Warfare. N.p., 28 Nov. 2015. Web. 04
Dec. 2016.
Annotation: Mitch Askari is another freelance historian who wrote this article on the history of the
warfare elephant.