The Kalinga War was fought between the Mauryan Empire of Magadha and the independent and prosperous state of Kalinga. It was a turning point in the life of Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan Dynasty. The terrible outcome of the war made him question the price of his victory and its worth. 

Background

Kalinga was a prosperous nation with artistically skilled and peaceful people. It was under the Nanda Empire until 321 BCE. With important ports for trade and a strong navy, Kalinga controlled its coastline and played a crucial role in the trading world of the Bay of Bengal. The king of Kalinga was referred to as ‘Mahodadhi Pati’ or ‘the lord of the ocean’ by the poet Kalidasa in one of his works. The Mauryan Empire perceived Kalinga as a threat because Kalinga could interrupt communications between Patliputra, the Mauryan capital and its possessions in the central Indian peninsula. Emperor Ashoka sent a message to the King of Kalinga asking him to submit to his overlordship, but the king was in no mood to bow to this authority.

The War

Ashoka led a huge army against Kalinga in a historic battle in 261 BCE. Since it was the first major war after he acceded the throne, Ashoka was eager to win at all costs. However, it surprised him to find that the soldiers and the people of Kalinga fought with great valour to safeguard their independence.

The King of Kalinga himself commanded his army on the battlefield,  but his limited forces were no match for the vast Magadhan army. After a gruesome battle, victory ultimately favoured the Mauryan Empire. There was a huge loss of man and material due to the war of Kalinga. 150,000 soldiers were taken as prisoners by Asoka, 100,000 were slain, and many others died later because of their injuries. It is said that an equal number of soldiers from the army of Magadha were killed as well.

Aftermath

Ashoka, who had set his heart on this victory over Kalinga was unprepared for the destruction caused by it. The scene of the war presented a heart-wrenching sight. The whole area was filled with the corpses of soldiers from both sides. The wounded soldiers, who escaped death groaned in severe pain. Orphaned children and widows mourned the loss of their near and dear ones. People looked listless and filled with despair, unable to recover from the damage this rampage had inflicted on their lives.

Change of Heart

Ashoka felt he was solely responsible for the destruction caused by this war. He embraced ‘ahimsa’ or non-violence  The Kalinga War prompted Ashoka, to devote the rest of his life to ahimsa ie. non-violence and ended further military expansion of the empire. The next era of his rule was filled with harmony, prosperity and peace.

Read the full story of Ashoka in our title Ashoka, now available on the ACK Comics App, Kindle, Flipkart, Amazon, and other major e-tailers. 

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The British historians may call it ‘The Sepoy Mutiny’ or ‘The Revolt of 1857’ or by any other name, but the uprising of 1857 will always be the First War of Independence in India. Even though it was unsuccessful, it heralded the struggle for freedom that continued for the next ninety years and ultimately led to the freedom of India.

The first spark

The First War of Indian Independence started as a result of various actions of the ruling East India Company. They recruited Indian soldiers in their army and there were three lakh Indian sepoys in the army to fifty thousand Britishers. The first spark for the rebellion came in the form of the Vellore Mutiny in 1806. Both Hindu and Muslim Sepoys resented the new uniform regulations imposed by the Company, in spite of earlier assurances to the contrary. These regulations prohibited the soldiers from wearing any religious marks on their foreheads and all of them were required to trim their beards and moustaches. Two soldiers who protested were first punished and then discharged from the army. The rebels captured the Vellore Fort and killed two hundred British troops. They were eventually subdued by the cavalry from Arcot. But this voice that was raised against the British rule, echoed through the land and was significant in paving the way for the stronger and more defiant revolt in 1857.

Causes of 1857 war

Even before the introduction of the Enfield rifle, which served as an immediate cause for the revolt, there was tension and discomfort among the Indians towards the British rule. There were many so-called ‘reforms’ introduced by the British in the taxation and revenue system that affected the people adversely. The expansion of the British in India had led to the propagation of many other unjust policies too. Many zamindars who lost their lands and power also joined the rebels and fought against the British. In addition to these political and economic causes, racial discrimination and the interference of the British in the religious matters of Indians were believed to be the other major cause of the war. Indians also feared a forced conversion to Christianity.

The introduction of the Enfield Pattern rifle in 1853 was the proverbial straw that broke the back of Indian restraint. Rumours circulated that the cartridges for the new rifles were greased with beef and pork that was a taboo for both Hindu and Muslim sepoys in the army of the East India Company. The Company was quick to contradict this rumour so that the unrest could be quelled. It issued a notice that the cartridges provided were free from grease and made modifications that the cartridge was to be now torn with the hands and not bitten. This, however, backfired as many sepoys were now convinced about the authenticity of the rumours and the justification of their fears.

Mangal Pandey

Mangal Pandey, of the 34th Bengal Native Infantry, is among the most recognised figures of the first war of independence. After the information about the Enfield rifle reached Barrackpore, he declared that he would rebel against the new rules and other atrocities of the Company. On 29 March 1857, this 29-year-old fired at Sergeant-Major James Hewson. Later Mangal Pandey was hanged to death, and all the soldiers of the 34th BNI were disbanded and removed from employment. This action spread the wave of rebellion rapidly across other parts of the country.

Seize of Delhi and Meerut

On May 10, 1857, the revolt broke in Meerut when eighty-five members of the 3rd Bengal Light Cavalry were released from prison by their comrades. The soldiers destroyed the military station and killed any Europeans they could find. Following the outbreak at Meerut, many more uprisings occurred across northern and central India. The rebels moved quickly and seized Delhi next. The Mughal ruler, Bahadur Shah Zafar, was declared as the Emperor of Hindustan.

The East India Company acted swiftly and ruthlessly to control the rebellion. With help from reinforcements, Kanpur was retaken by the British in the middle of July of 1857, and Delhi by the end of September.

Impact

The First War of Indian Independence shook the foundations of the British East India Company. The major impact was the introduction of the Government of India Act. This act abolished the rule of the British East India Company and placed the entire country directly under the British monarchy. It also marked the beginning of the British Raj in India. The heroic bravery shown by all the fighters in 1857 and the death of many, inspired Indians across the breadth of the country to fight for their freedom.

The death and sacrifice of these martyrs did not go in vain and India finally gained independence in 1947.

Read the full story of Mangal Pandey in our title Mangal Pandey, now available on the ACK Comics App, Kindle, Amazon, and other major e-tailers. 

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Not too far from the Indo-Gangetic plains somewhere in modern-day Bihar, there lies a forgotten region that witnessed the rise and fall of some of India’s most powerful kingdoms in history. Magadha was not only the heartland of some of the most successful kingdoms in India at the time, but also one of the most prosperous cities in the subcontinent.

One of the strongest empires to have ever ruled over this region was the Nanda Dynasty whose capital was in Pataliputra, where modern-day Patna stands today. Founded by Mahapadma Nanda, this lineage of rulers saw a rapid rise and an equally rapid decline in fortunes. Most of ancient India’s political activity was concentrated in this region and Magadha became the nucleus for several other Indian kingdoms that sprouted in neighbouring regions.

By the time the last ruler of the Nandas, Dhana Nanda, came to power, the kingdom had grown exponentially in its geographical expanse, wealth, and military conquests. Magadha’s army was believed to have over 20,000 cavalry, 200,000 infantry, 2,000 chariots, and 3,000 elephants. This army was so powerful that when Alexander the Great invaded India, his own army feared the might and control of the Nandas to an extent they were forced to cut short their conquest and return to Persia. The Nanda dynasty had successfully established itself as one of the strongest Indian kingdoms of its time.

However, the overall prosperity of the kingdom and the power that came with it was intoxicating enough to turn some of the Nanda rulers, especially Dhana Nanda, against his subjects. Despite being a powerful king, Dhana Nanda was viewed as a cruel king who imposed severe taxes on his population, most of whom could not afford to bear the brunt of this rule. His unpopular method of administration and his poor management of the kingdom’s finances set the fall of the Nandas in motion. Of course, he wasn’t the only figure to have impacted the decline of the Nandas. Here are some other personalities who also played a part in the proceedings.

Sakatala

According to the book ‘Jainism: The World of Conquerors’ by Natubhai Shah, Dhana Nanda had four able ministers – Bandu, Subandu, Kubera and Sakatala. Sakatala became the chief minister of the last Nanda. He was a popular, well-respected and faithful chief minister. However, one day, the king thought that Sakatala was manufacturing weapons so that he could take over the kingdom. Little did the king know that those weapons were actually a gift for him for the royal wedding. Sakatala quickly tried to defuse the situation by asking his son, Sriyaka, to chop off his head in front of the king. However, to save his son from committing such a horrendous sin, he had already taken a poisonous pill.

However, a more popular version of the story tells us that Sakatala had emptied Dhana Nanda’s coffers in a bid to broker peace with foreign invaders. However, he had not done this with the king’s approval. Infuriated by this act, Dhana Nanda punished Sakatala by throwing him into a dungeon with minimum food and water. Years later, when Dhana Nanda sought Sakatala’s advice on foreign invasions, Sakatala cut off all ties, pledging his allegiance to Chanakya, who played a pivotal role in dethroning the Nandas. Just like Sakatala, the wise Chanakya had been a victim of Dhana Nanda’s rude behaviour.

Chanakya

After being insulted for his appearance by the Nanda ruler, Chanakya swore to take revenge and topple the Nanda dynasty altogether. He began to study the flaws and shortcomings of the Nandas in terms of administration and military prowess, realising their vulnerability when it came to foreign invasions. Using his knowledge and expertise to his advantage, Chanakya found a strong ally in the young Chandragupta Maurya and decided to mentor him and conquer Magadha.

Chandragupta Maurya

Faced with the looming threat of a possible foreign invasion, the people of Magadha looked to their king to plan ahead. However, thanks to his selfishness and arrogance, Dhana Nanda belittled those who advised him of these possible threats, choosing to live in denial instead. The stage was set for a young prince who was well trained and equipped in warfare and administration. Chandragupta Maurya trained with his guru Chanakya in Taxila, working out a plan to lay siege to the kingdom of Magadha. Chanakya eventually zeroed in on the right time for the Mauryan army to attack, and Chandragupta set out accordingly to conquer Magadha and its states.

Thrown off guard by the Mauryan attack on his kingdom, Dhana Nanda prepared his army for a war he had not anticipated. The Mauryan forces besieged the city of Pataliputra using guerrilla tactics. In spite of being outnumbered, Chandragupta Maurya was able to lead his small army to victory against the enormous army of the Nandas, using his wits and military expertise.

After the death of Dhana Nanda, Chandragupta Maurya continued to rule from Pataliputra which became the capital of the Mauryas. He eventually expanded the kingdom to the south along the Deccan plateau and went to establish the most extensive empire India has ever seen in the course of its history.

Read our titles ‘Chandragupta Maurya’ and ‘Chanakya’ on the ACK Comics app and Kindle. It is also available on Amazon, Flipkart, and other major e-tailers. 

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