The First Aryan

by Paramu Kurumathur

  ‘What about the soldiers?’

  ‘They will follow whatever their captains tell them. So, right now there may be danger, but when they see you, they will change their minds.’

  ‘Who is their leader?’

  ‘The senior captain. He is the old king’s relative.’

  Sudās knew who he was talking about. ‘What about the ordinary people?’

  ‘Sire, most of the ordinary people are on your side.’

  Sudās was very upset with the vice commander. ‘I will deal with you later.’

  He then held a meeting with Vasiṣṭha and the commander.

  ‘We should get back to Parśupur as quickly as possible. Commander, what is your reading of the situation?’

  Yadu answered, ‘The three rebel captains have all the soldiers of the city garrison with them. Even the soldiers under the three loyalist captains would have been taken over by the rebels. They, however, have only five hundred soldiers in the garrison. We have a thousand with us. We can also call on the five hundred or so from the northern city garrison, if needed. The senior captain’s advantage comes from the protection of the city walls and the fact that he is holding some prominent citizens hostage.’

  Sudās said, ‘This is completely unexpected. I think we trusted the new vice commander too much. He has turned out to be inefficient, though he is loyal.’

  ‘Yes. We must make sure he’s gone. He has failed you.’

  They decided that they needed to reach the capital as quickly as possible. The commander thought that if they forced the soldiers to march, allowing them only minimum rest, they could get to the capital in less than six days. Soon enough, they got further information about the rebellion. ‘Sire, the ringleader of the rebellion, the senior among the three captains, is not as foolish as we thought. He is not acting alone. He has entered into a pact with the Dasyu king from the south.’

  This Dasyu king was on good terms with Turvaśa and may have been unhappy at the way he was deposed. The senior captain, Āyu, was a young man who came from one of the leading warrior families of Parśuvarta. They were a cadet branch of the ruling family. Āyu’s great-grandfather, a paternal second cousin of Turvaśa’s grandfather, had tried to stage a coup against Turvaśa’s grandfather in the early days of confusion, just after the throne had been usurped from Sudās’s great-grandfather, claiming a specious right to the throne. The coup had then been put down. The family had been punished and had lost its lands and rights by heredity in the army. Āyu’s great-grandfather had been executed and his grandfather and father had worked as ordinary soldiers in the army. Turvaśa had taken pity on Āyu and rehabilitated him by arranging for his education and military training. When he grew up, he was appointed at a good position in the army. Turvaśa had also given him a distant relative of his in marriage, a girl from the royal family, and hoped that he would become a loyal subject. Turvaśa was right. Āyu did not hold any loyalty towards Sudās. Now that Turvaśa was gone, Āyu did not feel any compulsion to swear fidelity to Sudās. Moreover, he felt that he could bring forth his claim to the fore.

  Sudās had been warned about Āyu and had hoped that one day, this young man could head the army and be a support to him and his successors. How wrong he was! People remember any wrong done to their forefathers and always carry this grudge.

  Yadu told him, ‘Āyu may have convinced himself that he is the rightful heir through his forefathers and that he is only doing the right thing. The Dasyu king from the south seems to have promised him that he will send five thousand soldiers to our capital to support the coup against you. He has promised to install Āyu as king.’

  This Dasyu king had a reputation of being a tyrant. He suppressed his people and extracted heavy taxes from them. He was also very wily and untrustworthy. Yadu’s surmise was that Āyu, as king, would not be allowed any freedom and would have to act as a puppet to the Dasyu king. He was taking a big risk—the Dasyu king could even get rid of him altogether after his purpose was served.

  Vasiṣṭha said, ‘Maybe he feels that once the coup succeeds and he is enthroned, he can somehow, in time, contrive to shake off the yoke of the Dasyu king. Perhaps he feels that this is the best and only opportunity that will come his way, and if he does not take this chance, he may regret it all his life.’

  Yadu said, ‘Sire, the southern Dasyu king is obviously trying to take advantage of the situation. He expects that it will take some time for you to consolidate your position. He may not have expected that most of our army would pledge allegiance to you so quickly.’

  As per their plan, they employed forced marches and reached the capital in five and a half days, on the sixteenth day of the month of Nabhasya; the two hundred and twenty-third day of the year. Kaśyapa and Agastya were thrilled to be part of this fast march. When they reached outside the capital, it was the third part of the day. This must have been a surprise for Āyu as he probably did not expect the king and his soldiers to arrive so quickly. They discovered that though the Dasyu king’s soldiers were on their way from the south of the kingdom, they were still outside the kingdom’s borders, a good eight days away.

  The king and his men reached outside the northern gate and found it closed. Āyu’s strategy was, they supposed, to hold the capital till the Dasyu soldiers arrived. Sudās spoke to Yadu, ‘We should act fast to ensure that the rebellion is crushed and we are in control of the capital before the Dasyu king’s soldiers arrive.’

  ‘But, sire, there is only one hitch. You may be aware that some of our leading citizens, like traders, priests, women and children, are hostages inside. How do we ensure their safety?’ Yadu knew that topmost on Sudās’s mind was ensuring that whatever action he took, the civilians inside should not be harmed. Yet, Yadu thought it wise to reiterate this. Sudās then held council with the commander, Vasiṣṭha and some of the senior officers. The senior officers were shocked to learn that a captain of their rank had taken such a rash step to express defiance towards Sudās. Not just this, he had also managed to get two other captains to join him. ‘We cannot hold a long siege to wear out the soldiers inside the palace. For one, some key citizens are inside and another, very soon, the southern Dasyu king’s soldiers will be here.’

  One of the officers, Jaivala, said, ‘Sire, forgive me for appearing impertinent to give an opinion when the commander and other seniors are present. I think that the first thing we must do is to send an emissary to meet the commander of the oncoming Dasyu soldiers. If we can dissuade him from coming to the rebel’s aid, our battle will be won before it starts.’

  The commander and Vasiṣṭha agreed, and Sudās was impressed. ‘Excellent idea. We should do so immediately.’

  Sudās then turned to Yadu, ‘Commander, I think the best person to carry out this embassy and be our interlocutor is you. The Dasyu commander will not meet with anyone of a lower rank. However, he would not be able to refuse meeting you and will understand that we are not to be trifled with once you convince him that it would be a folly to engage in battle with our soldiers who are well-trained. Conflict will only affect both kingdoms negatively, since we are dependent on each other economically. Also, there are only about five hundred soldiers under the rebel’s command. I think I will be able to command our soldiers to confront them, should he refuse to see reason.’

  The commander said, ‘As you say, sire,’ and requested private audience with him, possibly to suggest strategic manoeuvres to defeat the rebels.

  He soon left for the south with hundred soldiers. Āyu and his men were not strong enough to hold the city against Sudās and his nine hundred soldiers. If the Dasyu soldiers could be persuaded to turn back, he would have no choice but to surrender. Sudās sent a senior officer to the northern city to ask the soldiers there to prepare to march quickly to the capital if required. He sent some of the leading citizens with them to different parts of the kingdom to levy soldiers, starting with officers going to the western city to ask for military aid in case it was required.

 
The first thing Sudās did after this was to surround the city with his soldiers. This was meant to intimidate Āyu. Āyu knew that even though the soldiers were under his command at the moment, their loyalty lay with Sudās, and Sudās knew this well. He then announced his intention of talking to Āyu, which was refused as Āyu did not have the nerve to talk to him. Sudās realized that diplomacy would not work. He would be forced to take military action.

  The next day, Sudās’s heralds spread the word that the Dasyu king and Sudās had reached an understanding and that his soldiers would not be coming to support the rebels. Though this message was conveyed as convincingly as possible, Āyu was not foolish enough to fall for it. He knew that it would not have been possible for them to come to an understanding with the Dasyu king so quickly.

  24

  Sudās Quells the Rebellion

  By the third day, Sudās knew that he was running out of time. If the commander’s embassy failed, the southern Dasyu king’s soldiers would be there soon. Sudās wanted to capture the capital before a battle ensued.

  He called his senior officers. ‘Our only option now is to use the secret passages under the walls to enter the city. A small contingent of our best officers and soldiers will enter first and secure the palace so that some of us can also enter after them with more soldiers.’ The officers were surprised. They did not know about these secret passages.

  There were two secret passages out of the city; both originated from inside the king’s palace. One came out from under the south wall and opened near the road in front of the southern gate. The other came out under the west wall and opened near the road from the west gate. The entries and exits to the passages were camouflaged. Sudās knew that Āyu and his soldiers did not know about these passages. It was a well-guarded secret of the king and his inner circle.

  Sudās continued, ‘Since the passages are small, only three men can go through them at a time. Our soldiers need to work quietly and ensure that there are enough people inside before Āyu realizes what is happening. If the soldiers inside know that our men are making their way in, it will be easy for them to stand at the entrance and pick off our soldiers as they enter.’

  Sudās then appointed Jaivala as the leader of the operation to secure the king’s palace. The operation started on the fifth night after their arrival outside the city. It was seven days after the new moon. The moon would set around midnight. Sudās had instructed Jaivala to wait for that moment so that they won’t be visible to anyone watching from the city walls. By then, most of the soldiers inside, including Āyu, but excluding the lookouts, would be asleep.

  Jaivala gave instructions to a small contingent of about fifty carefully selected soldiers. The idea was that he and another officer would lead two small bands of soldiers from the contingent through each of the passages. Once a sufficient number of soldiers was inside the palace, Sudās himself would enter. His thinking was that once the soldiers inside the city saw him—their king—standing before them, their resistance would crumble and they would submit to him, knowing it was the wiser side to be on.

  There were secret latches and bolts on the doors, on both sides of the tunnels. Led by Jaivala and the other captain, two groups of soldiers gained access to the palace with complete stealth. Before Āyu realized that anything was happening, Sudās was already inside the palace, surrounded by a small contingent of his best soldiers.

  Āyu, who did not know about the secret passages, was uncertain about where Sudas would try to enter from. He was with his soldiers in their quarters near the north gate. However, he was soon alerted about the happenings and he rushed to the palace with three hundred soldiers. Though the archers shot at Sudās and his soldiers, it was evident that their hearts were not in it. Jaivala then called out to the rebel soldiers saying that King Sudās had ordered for them to lay down their arms. Whoever complied could expect to be pardoned. At this announcement, though Āyu tried to stop them, all of the rebel soldiers laid down their arms and prostrated themselves on the ground before Sudās. Āyu knew that he was defeated. He also threw down his arms and prostrated.

  The rebellion thus ended without a drop of blood being spilt.

  *

  In about two days, things were back to normal. Āyu and the two captains, along with three of their closest aides, were arrested upon Sudās’s orders. They were to be executed immediately for treason. The families of Āyu and the others were given small pensions, but their properties were confiscated. Āyu’s young son was sent away as a ward in the home of one of Vasiṣṭha’s trusted followers so that he could have better prospects without being exposed to his father’s pretensions.

  The soldiers who had joined the rebellion were pardoned. In all likelihood, many of them may not even have known that they were rebelling! They were simply following the orders of their captains.

  After a few days, Yadu returned, successful in his mission. The Dasyu army had been persuaded to go back. Out of curiosity, Kaśyapa asked around to know how the diplomatic feat was achieved. He was told that Yadu merely told the Dasyu commander that by the time their soldiers reached the city, Sudās would have silenced the rebellion and Āyu would have been executed, leaving them with no king left to fight for. Yadu also reminded him of how their economic relations were vital. The Dasyu commander was not a fool. He knew that his king would understand what was at stake and back his decision to turn back without joining the battle against Sudās.

  The inept vice commander was removed from his post and sent away as a deputy to the captain of the garrison of the southern city. They then rewarded Jaivala, who had impressed Sudās and Yadu with his strategic foresight, by appointing him as vice commander.

  The only thing left to do now was to crown Sudās as king.

  And then would begin the wait for the inevitable invasion by the queen and her adherents.

  25

  Sudās Reviews the Kingdom’s Preparedness for Battle

  The coronation was fixed for the first day of the month of Iṣa, the two hundred and thirty-eighth day of the year. The previous night, the moon had been full and near the Apabharanī stars. Kaśyapa thought that since the Apabharanī stars were so faint, they were never named individually, and that he would rather say that the moon was full between the Aśvinī and Kṛttikā stars.

  The coronation ceremonies were similar to the ones conducted when the prince was installed as crown prince. Sudās was anointed the king of Parśuvarta in the presence of the leading citizens, leading priests, warriors and traders of the kingdom. Princess Jabālā was simultaneously anointed as the new queen. The Dasyu king and queen of the east and their family had been specially invited. Of course, there was a grand feast to enjoy.

  Kaśyapa found it difficult to believe that more than half a year had passed since he had become privy to the events that would someday go down in history! How quickly time had passed in the days when he was young, but now when he was older, he felt like time flew past even faster. People of the priestly class tend to live for longer than those of the warrior and other classes. He had asked his guru about this once, to which Vasiṣṭha had responded, ‘People of the warrior, trader and servant classes seldom reach their projected lifespans. The effects of constantly fighting and getting wounded, and especially drinking, take a toll on the bodies of the warriors. The traders, having a lot of wealth, overindulge in the three sins of eating, drinking and womanizing, while hard work, disease, lack of proper food and nutrition, and constant insecurity tend to shorten the lives of the slaves and servants.’

  ‘Are you saying that the priests don’t overindulge?’ Kaśyapa knew many who did!

  ‘Well, some of us do. But our advantage is that our prescribed way of life forbids us from eating too much meat and drinking intoxicants. This keeps us from overindulging, though many find ways to get around most proscriptions. As the number of sacrifices has increased, meat-eating and soma-drinking among the priestly class have also increased. How can anyone proscribe eating and drinking in the
name of the gods?’

  ‘Sir, I have always wondered about what the true contribution that we, the priestly class, make to our society and kingdom is. Individuals like you are exceptions, since you, as the chief minister to the king, virtually help to run the kingdom. But the other priests?’

  ‘Well, my boy, we are supposed to bridge the gap between the people and the gods.’

  ‘But why is it only us, as the people of the priestly class, who can do this? Why not the others?’

  ‘We have knowledge that the others do not and are not allowed to possess. But the question we can rightly pose is whether it is right to keep this knowledge from the others who are not of the priestly class. We are supposed to be repositories of knowledge. The knowledge that we have is seen as above those of other kinds.’

  ‘Sir, but how is our knowledge of sacrifices more important or useful than the knowledge that the traders possess—that of exchange, money and markets? And the knowledge of the carpenters? Is our knowledge better than the knowledge of the servants and the peasants who work in the fields? Knowledge of when to sow, when to reap, how to irrigate, how to keep off pests; knowledge of the seasons, of climate, of weather. Are these not more important than the ones we possess?’

  ‘People across generations have wondered about this, but no one has been able to give us a satisfactory answer. The knowledge possessed by all classes of people is equally important. There is no reason to say why our knowledge is more important. Our knowledge is only as useful as others, and maybe even less. But it is all a question of power. The priestly class is at the apex of the power structure in the Aryan nations. The warrior class maintains power over the nations with active help from the priestly class. The upper classes have a vested interest in keeping the power structure unchanged. Everything, including the knowledge, of the priestly class is accorded a higher weightage than the others. I suppose this helps to maintain exclusivity. You create a body of knowledge, call it better than anything else and then designate yourself as the only group that can possess it. What more can you want to create exclusivity and privilege?’