Page:History of India Vol 2.djvu/143

 THE ARMY 113 much influence upon the Indian court and administra- tion, the king ceremonially washed his hair on his birth- day, which was celebrated by a splendid festival, at which the nobles were expected to make rich presents to their sovereign. In the midst of all the gold and glitter, and in spite of the most elaborate precautions, uneasy lay the head that wore the crown. The king's life was so constantly threatened by plots that he dared not incur the risk either of sleeping in the daytime, or of occupying the same bedroom two nights in succession. The dramatist brings vividly before us the astuteness of the Brahman counsellor who detected the plots both of the poisoners and of " The brave men who were concealed In the subterrene avenue that led To Chandragupta' s sleeping chamber thence To steal by night, and kill him as he slept." The army, to which Chandragupta owed his throne and empire, was maintained at enormous numerical strength, and so organized, equipped, and administered as to attain a high degree of efficiency, as measured by an Oriental standard. It was not a militia, but a standing army, drawing liberal and regular pay, and supplied by the government with horses, arms, equip- ment, and stores. The force at the command of Ma- hapadma Nanda is said to have numbered eighty thou- sand horse, two hundred thousand foot, eight thousand chariots, and six thousand fighting elephants. This huge force was greatly augmented by Chandragupta,