ARTHA SASTRA ON WAR
Kautilya's Arthashastra (c. 300 BCE) treats the contemplation of war as a
supreme, pragmatic act of statecraft, heavily emphasizing that war should
only be undertaken to increase the power of the state at the expense of an
enemy, based on a careful cost-benefit analysis. The text treats war as a
rational instrument of foreign policy—not a search for glory—aiming for
maximum advantage with minimum damage to the state's own resources.
Core Principles for Contemplating War
Power over Principle: Kautilya, as a realist, advises that moral
considerations have little place in international relations. The decision
to go to war is entirely based on self-interest, with a key tenet being:
"Whoever is superior in power, shall wage war," while the weaker should
maintain peace.
The Six-Fold Policy (Shadgunya): Kautilya provides six methods of foreign
policy to consider: 1. Making peace (Sandhi), 2. War (Vigraha), 3.
Marching/preparing for war (Yana), 4. Neutrality (Asana), 5. Seeking
protection (Samsraya), 6. Double policy/treating with one and warring with
another (Dvaidhibhava).
Pre-emptive Evaluation: A king is advised to evaluate his own and his
enemy's power using seven elements (Prakritis): Swami (ruler), Amatya
(ministers), Janapada (territory/population), Durga (fort), Kosha
(treasury), Danda (army), and Mitra (ally). The treasury (Kosha) and the
army (Danda) are prioritized, with the treasury often considered more vital
for raising a successful army.
War as a Last Resort: Despite his detailed descriptions of war, Kautilya
suggests that war is a last option. He argues that a king should first
attempt to overcome an enemy through three other techniques: Sama
(conciliation/diplomacy), Dana (gifts/bribes), and Bheda (sowing
dissension/breaking the enemy's unity).
Selecting the Right Target: The Mandala theory identifies immediate
neighbors as "natural enemies," and neighbors of those neighbors as
potential allies. Kautilya advises attacking a king whose subjects are
disaffected, as they will likely aid the invader, rather than attacking a
"righteous" king who is loved by his people.
Types of Warfare Considered
Open War (Prakasha Yuddha): Fought on suitable terrain, in a specified
time, and place.
Concealed War (Kuta Yuddha): Guerrilla warfare, sudden assaults, and
striking at the enemy's weakest points.
Silent War (Tushnim Yuddha): The most insidious form, where nations are
publicly at peace, but the attacker uses spies to assassinate enemy
leaders, spread disinformation, and destroy the enemy from within.
Considerations of Risk
Kautilya cautions that a king must always evaluate the "gain" of a war
against its "losses" (men, treasury, time). If a king is weaker, he should
never wage war but instead use diplomacy, or if necessary, "silent war".
Kautilya‘s theory provides a framework for leaders to assess and
enhance power of the state. Political leadership is responsible for
orchestration of all elements of national power; constituting an effective
national space policy and national space security strategy. The economy
provides space infrastructure and research and development for ensuring
leadership in space. Therefore, it is essential to harness the
opportunities for commerce, provided by space. The military should be able
to deter, defend, and defeat aggression. It does this by preparing to
launch a counter offensive in space when needed—by adopting a defensive
posture with latent offensive capability and by maintaining presence in
space that accords with its dominance. The US should abide by advantageous
treaties, but be prepared to renegotiate or violate space treaties if the
national interests (security, wealth, and prestige) are threatened or could
be enhanced. The weak are forced to accept treaties, the strong make them
to their advantage. The US is strong, but this does not mean it will always
be so. Treaties should show the weaker parties respect and justice. This
assertive role in space should be tempered with the support and cooperation
of allies.
A king who observes his duty of protecting his people justly and
according to law goes to heaven, one who does not protect them or inflicts
unjust punishment will not It is the power of the punishment alone, when
exercised impartially in proportion to the guilt, irrespective whether the
person punished is a king’s son or enemy, that protects this world and the
next Judges shall discharge their duties objectively and impartially so
that they may earn trust and affection of the people A king shall have his
agents in the courts of the enemy, the ally, the middle and the neutral
kings to spy on the kings as well as their eighteen types of high officials
Miraculous results can be achieved by practicing the methods of subversion
A single assassin can achieve, with weapons, fire or poison more than a
fully organized army The welfare of state depends on an active foreign
policy The king who understands the interdependence of the six methods of
foreign policy plays, as he pleases, with other rulers bound to him by the
chains of his intellect The Conqueror shall think of the circle of states
as a wheel – himself at the hub and his allies, drawn to him by the spokes
though separated by intervening territory, as its rim The enemy, however,
strong he maybe, becomes vulnerable to harassment and destruction, when he
is squeezed between his conquerors and his allies When the benefits
accruing to kings under treaty, irrespective of their state as the weaker,
equal or stronger king, is fair to each one, peace (by agreement) shall be
the preferred course; if the benefits are to be distributed unfairly, war
is preferable Strength is power; happiness is the objective of using power.
Power and success are interrelated. Power is of three kinds; so is the
success resulting from its use. Intellectual strength provides the power of
[good] counsel, prosperous treasury and a strong army provide physical
power, and valor is the basis for [morale and] energetic action. The
success resulting from each one is, correspondingly intellectual, physical
and psychological.
K RAJARAM IRS 18326
On Wed, 18 Mar 2026 at 08:27, Dr Sundar <[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> https://www.nst.com.my/world/world/2026/03/1399351/trump-faces-impasse-over-iran-war
>
> Trump is facing a difficult situation regarding the Iran war.
> There is no clear plan or defined objective for the conflict.
> He is unable to find an easy way to either escalate or step back.
> Support from allies is uncertain, adding to the pressure.
> Overall, it has become a deadlock with no simple solution.
>
> Mad fellow . World is enduring him.
>
> *"KNOW THYSELF .*
> *SELF KNOWLEDGE IS REAL KNOWLEDGE.*
> *ALL OTHER KNOWLEDGE IS IGNORANCE AND THEY ARE NO KNOWLEDGE " *
> *~~~ Bhagavan Ramana*
>
>
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