US. Iran war
Dr Sundar
Rajaram Krishnamurthy
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
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