War codes
Prolog
"Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that
they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and
woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and
ass".[ I Samuel 15:3. ]
. . . you shall save alive nothing that breathes: but
you shall utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites,
and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites,
the Hivites, and the Jebusites . . . [Moses in
Deuteronomy 20:l6-17.]
**********
One of the few evidences of considerate treatment of
prisoners was the Hindu Code of Manu which recommended humane care for Indian prisoners.
Politics and Prisoners of War
[Note date fixing is incorrect].
7.90. When he fights with his foes in battle, let him
not strike with weapons concealed (in wood), nor with
(such as are) barbed, poisoned, or the points of which
are blazing with fire.
7.91. Let him not strike one who (in flight) has climbed
on an eminence, nor a eunuch, nor one who joins the
palms of his hands (in supplication), nor one who
(flees) with flying hair, nor one who sits down, nor one
who says 'I am thine;'
7.92. Nor one who sleeps, nor one who has lost his coat
of mail, nor one who is naked, nor one who is disarmed,
nor one who looks on without taking part in the fight,
nor one who is fighting with another
7.93. Nor one whose weapons are broken, nor one
afflicted (with sorrow), nor one who has been grievously
wounded, nor one who is in fear, nor one who has turned
to flight; (but in all these cases let him) remember the
duty (of honourable warriors).
7.94. But the (Kshatriya) who is slain in battle, while
he turns back in fear, takes upon himself all the sin of
his master, whatever (it may be);
7.95. And whatever merit (a man) who is slain in flight
may have gained for the next (world), all that his
master takes.
7.96. Chariots and horses, elephants, parasols, money,
grain, cattle, all sorts of (marketable) goods and
valueless metals belong to him who takes them (singly)
conquering (the possessor).
The Institutes of Vishnu lays down in Ch. III - Duties
of a king:
47. A king having conquered the capital of his foe,
should invest there a prince of the royal race of that
country with the royal dignity.
48. Let him not extirpate the royal race
53. He must not demolish (whether in his own town, or in
the town of his foe conquered by him,or in a fort) doors
which had been built there before his time (by a former
king).
*****
Manu on conduct after conquest
7.201. When he has gained victory, let him duly worship the gods and honour righteous Brahmanas, let him grant exemptions, and let him cause promises of safety to be proclaimed.
7.202. But having fully ascertained the wishes of all the (conquered), let him place there a relative of the (vanquished ruler on the throne), and let him impose his conditions.
7.203. Let him make authoritative the lawful (customs) of the (inhabitants), just as they are stated (to be), and let him honour the (new king) and his chief servants with precious gifts.
The Mahabharata has assembled various laws and provides
an insight into various acceptable and unacceptable
methods of warfare. The most important rules of the
Hindu laws of war are as follows:
1. A warrior in armour must not fight with another
warrior without armour.
2. Fighting should be on a one-to-one basis and one
should stop fighting when the opponent becomes disabled.
3. Warriors should fight only with their equals, e.g.,
cavalry soldiers should not attack a chariot-warrior.
4. Poisoned or barbed arrows should not be used.
5. A weak or wounded man should not be killed, nor one
who has no son.
6. He whose weapon is broken or whose bowstring is cut
or who has lost his chariot should not be hit.
7. One who surrenders should not be killed, but he can
be captured as a prisoner of war.
8. A King should fight only with a King.
9. Aged men, women of all ages, children, and those in
retreat should not be killed.
10. The panic-stricken and retreating foe should not be
pursued hotly.
11. The sleepy, the thirsty, a peaceful citizen walking
along the road, the insane, one engaged in eating, a
camp-follower, a war musician, and the guards at the
gates should not be killed.
12. ...and other non-combatants should not be
fought against, nor those hiding themselves in fear.
13. Gardens, temples and other places of public worship
should be left unmolested.
14. Prisoners of war should be treated humanely.
15. A wounded prisoner should either be sent home or
should have his wounds attended to.
16. When a fort can be captured by other means, no
attempt should be made to set fire to it, for fire will
cause indiscriminate damage.
17. Fighting should not take place at night.
18. In order to be strictly in accordance with dharma
the place and time of battle must be specified
beforehand.
*****
Mahabharata BOOK 6
6.1. BHISHMA PARVA
6.1.1. SECTION I (Jamvu-khanda Nirmana Parva)
Then the Kurus, the Pandavas, and the Somakas made
certain covenants, and settled the rules, O bull of
Bharata's race, regarding the different kinds of
combat.
Persons equally circumstanced must encounter each other, fighting fairly.
And if having fought fairly the combatants withdraw
(without fear of molestation), even that would be
gratifying to us.
Those who engaged in contests of words should be fought against with words.
Those that left the ranks should never be slain.
A car-warrior should have a car-warrior for his antagonist; he on the neck of an elephant should have a similar combatant for his foe; a horse should be met by a horse, and a foot-soldier, O Bharata; should be met by a foot-soldier.
Guided by considerations of fitness, willingness, daring
and might, one should strike another, giving notice.
No one should strike another that is unprepared or
panic-struck. One engaged with another, one seeking
quarter, one retreating, one whose weapon is rendered
unfit, uncased in mail, should never be struck.
Car-drivers, animals (yoked to cars or carrying
weapons) men engaged in the transport of weapons,
players on drums and blowers of conches should never be struck.
For reference buffs,
Dharmayuddha - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
But better go to the texts mentioned.
************
Prolog
"Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that
they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and
woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and
ass".[ I Samuel 15:3. ]
. . . you shall save alive nothing that breathes: but
you shall utterly destroy them; namely, the Hittites,
and the Amorites, the Canaanites, and the Perizzites,
the Hivites, and the Jebusites . . . [Moses in
Deuteronomy 20:l6-17.]
**********
One of the few evidences of considerate treatment of
prisoners was the Hindu Code of Manu which recommended humane care for Indian prisoners.
Politics and Prisoners of War
[Note date fixing is incorrect].
7.90. When he fights with his foes in battle, let him
not strike with weapons concealed (in wood), nor with
(such as are) barbed, poisoned, or the points of which
are blazing with fire.
7.91. Let him not strike one who (in flight) has climbed
on an eminence, nor a eunuch, nor one who joins the
palms of his hands (in supplication), nor one who
(flees) with flying hair, nor one who sits down, nor one
who says 'I am thine;'
7.92. Nor one who sleeps, nor one who has lost his coat
of mail, nor one who is naked, nor one who is disarmed,
nor one who looks on without taking part in the fight,
nor one who is fighting with another
7.93. Nor one whose weapons are broken, nor one
afflicted (with sorrow), nor one who has been grievously
wounded, nor one who is in fear, nor one who has turned
to flight; (but in all these cases let him) remember the
duty (of honourable warriors).
7.94. But the (Kshatriya) who is slain in battle, while
he turns back in fear, takes upon himself all the sin of
his master, whatever (it may be);
7.95. And whatever merit (a man) who is slain in flight
may have gained for the next (world), all that his
master takes.
7.96. Chariots and horses, elephants, parasols, money,
grain, cattle, all sorts of (marketable) goods and
valueless metals belong to him who takes them (singly)
conquering (the possessor).
The Institutes of Vishnu lays down in Ch. III - Duties
of a king:
47. A king having conquered the capital of his foe,
should invest there a prince of the royal race of that
country with the royal dignity.
48. Let him not extirpate the royal race
53. He must not demolish (whether in his own town, or in
the town of his foe conquered by him,or in a fort) doors
which had been built there before his time (by a former
king).
*****
Manu on conduct after conquest
7.201. When he has gained victory, let him duly worship the gods and honour righteous Brahmanas, let him grant exemptions, and let him cause promises of safety to be proclaimed.
7.202. But having fully ascertained the wishes of all the (conquered), let him place there a relative of the (vanquished ruler on the throne), and let him impose his conditions.
7.203. Let him make authoritative the lawful (customs) of the (inhabitants), just as they are stated (to be), and let him honour the (new king) and his chief servants with precious gifts.
The Mahabharata has assembled various laws and provides
an insight into various acceptable and unacceptable
methods of warfare. The most important rules of the
Hindu laws of war are as follows:
1. A warrior in armour must not fight with another
warrior without armour.
2. Fighting should be on a one-to-one basis and one
should stop fighting when the opponent becomes disabled.
3. Warriors should fight only with their equals, e.g.,
cavalry soldiers should not attack a chariot-warrior.
4. Poisoned or barbed arrows should not be used.
5. A weak or wounded man should not be killed, nor one
who has no son.
6. He whose weapon is broken or whose bowstring is cut
or who has lost his chariot should not be hit.
7. One who surrenders should not be killed, but he can
be captured as a prisoner of war.
8. A King should fight only with a King.
9. Aged men, women of all ages, children, and those in
retreat should not be killed.
10. The panic-stricken and retreating foe should not be
pursued hotly.
11. The sleepy, the thirsty, a peaceful citizen walking
along the road, the insane, one engaged in eating, a
camp-follower, a war musician, and the guards at the
gates should not be killed.
12. ...and other non-combatants should not be
fought against, nor those hiding themselves in fear.
13. Gardens, temples and other places of public worship
should be left unmolested.
14. Prisoners of war should be treated humanely.
15. A wounded prisoner should either be sent home or
should have his wounds attended to.
16. When a fort can be captured by other means, no
attempt should be made to set fire to it, for fire will
cause indiscriminate damage.
17. Fighting should not take place at night.
18. In order to be strictly in accordance with dharma
the place and time of battle must be specified
beforehand.
*****
Mahabharata BOOK 6
6.1. BHISHMA PARVA
6.1.1. SECTION I (Jamvu-khanda Nirmana Parva)
Then the Kurus, the Pandavas, and the Somakas made
certain covenants, and settled the rules, O bull of
Bharata's race, regarding the different kinds of
combat.
Persons equally circumstanced must encounter each other, fighting fairly.
And if having fought fairly the combatants withdraw
(without fear of molestation), even that would be
gratifying to us.
Those who engaged in contests of words should be fought against with words.
Those that left the ranks should never be slain.
A car-warrior should have a car-warrior for his antagonist; he on the neck of an elephant should have a similar combatant for his foe; a horse should be met by a horse, and a foot-soldier, O Bharata; should be met by a foot-soldier.
Guided by considerations of fitness, willingness, daring
and might, one should strike another, giving notice.
No one should strike another that is unprepared or
panic-struck. One engaged with another, one seeking
quarter, one retreating, one whose weapon is rendered
unfit, uncased in mail, should never be struck.
Car-drivers, animals (yoked to cars or carrying
weapons) men engaged in the transport of weapons,
players on drums and blowers of conches should never be struck.
For reference buffs,
Dharmayuddha - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
But better go to the texts mentioned.
************
