Chiefs and chiefdoms

A chief is a powerful man whose position may or may not be hereditary. He derives support from his kinfolk. His functions may include performing special rituals, leadership in warfare, and arbitrating disputes. He receives gifts from his subordinates (unlike kings who usually collect taxes) and often distributes these amongst his supporters.

Generally, there are no regular armies and officials in chiefdoms. We know about these states from a variety of sources. For instance, the early Tamil Sangam texts (see also Chapter ) contain poems describing chiefs and the ways in which they acquired and distributed resources. Many chiefs and kings, including the Satavahanas who ruled over parts of western and central India ( c.

second century BCE -second century CE ) and the Shakas, a people of Central Asian origin who established kingdoms in the north-western and western parts of the subcontinent, derived revenues from long-distance trade. Their social origins were often obscure, but, as we will see in the case of the Satavahanas (Chapter ), once they acquired power they attempted to claim social status in a variety of ways. Capturing elephants for the arm y The Arthashastra lays down minute details of administrative and military organisation. This is what it says about how to capture elephants: Guards of elephant forests, assisted by those who rear elephants, those who enchain the legs of elephants, those who guard the boundaries, those who live in forests, as well as by those who nurse elephants, shall, with the help of five or seven female elephants to help in tethering wild ones, trace the whereabouts of herds of elephants by following the course of urine and dung left by elephants.

According to Greek sources, the Mauryan ruler had a standing army of , foot-soldiers, , cavalry and , elephants. Some historians consider these accounts to be exaggerated. Source