New Delhi: Ancient literature such as Chanakya’s Arthashastra underscores the importance of strategic alliances and diplomacy, aligning with modern military practices such as international cooperation and soft power projection, Deputy Chief of Army Staff (Strategy) Lt. Gen. Tarun Kumar Aich said Saturday.
He was speaking at the launch of the Indian Army’s ‘Project Udbhav’ on the first day of the Indian Military Heritage Festival at the Manekshaw Centre, New Delhi. Project Udbhav aims to “rediscovering the profound Indic heritage of statecraft and strategic thoughts derived from ancient Indian texts of statecraft, warcraft, diplomacy and grand strategy”, a press release issued by the Defence Ministry said last month.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh launched the project Saturday and inaugurated the first edition of the Indian Military Heritage Festival in Delhi.
According to Lt. Gen. Aich, the objective of ‘Project Udbhav’ was to “synthesise ancient wisdom with contemporary military practices, forging a unique and holistic approach to address modern security challenges”.
“It is a visionary initiative by the Indian Army that seeks to integrate age-old wisdom with contemporary military pedagogy,” Lt Gen Aich said, adding that Chanakya’s teachings on statecraft and warfare are taught in United States Army War College, a military college in Pennsylvania.
According to him, the word ‘Udbhav’, which translates to ‘origin’ or ‘genesis’, embodies the Indian Army’s endeavour to revisit the roots of India’s military thoughts.
“It acknowledges the nation’s vintage scriptures and writings, which span centuries in the past, contain profound knowledge that can benefit modern military strategies,” he said.
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Ancient warfare — from Mauryas to Ahom Empire
According to Lt. Gen. Aich, the wisdom of Thirukkural — the classical Tamil text authored by Tamil philosopher Thiruvalluva — advocates ethical conduct in all endeavours, including warfare.
This, he said, aligns with modern military codes of ethics of “just war and principles of the Geneva Convention.”
He also spoke about the Mauryan empire under Chandragupta Maurya and his grandson Ashoka in the north and the Cholas in the south, pointing to how these kingdoms flourished and expanded in influence during their times.
“We also have the example of the Ahom Kingdom, which successfully ruled for 600 years, repeatedly defeating the Mughals. The Naval Battle of Saraighat in 1671 (between the Mughal Empire and the Ahom kingdom led by Lachit Borphukan), stands as a stellar example of the use of clever diplomatic negotiations to buy time, employ psychological warfare, focus on military intelligence and exploiting the strategic weakness of the Mughals — their navy,” Lt. Gen. Aich said.
He also spoke about the military tactics used by 17th-century Maratha king Shivaji and Ranjit Singh, the first ruler of the Sikh Empire, to defeat the numerically superior Mughal and Afghan invaders. “While Shivaji’s use of guerrilla tactics is well acknowledged, less highlighted is his foresightedness in the construction of a series of naval forts along the Western seaboard to ward off external threats,” he said.
Lt. Gen. Aich also told the audience that after undertaking research into ancient Indian scriptures on statecraft and politics such as the Nitisara by Kamandaki and the Arthashastra, the Army Training Command had compiled the Compendium of 75 Stratagems — a text on ancient military strategy.
In addition, the College of Defence Management — a Hyderabad-based defence training institution under the Ministry of Defence — is also known to have conducted a study to establish linkages between ancient Indian culture and the “art” of strategic thinking, he said.
Also present at Saturday’s event were Chief of the Army Staff General Manoj Pande, and Chief of Air Staff ACM V.R Chaudhari.
What is ‘Project Udbhav’
According to an Army press release, Project Udbhav aims at understanding India’s ancient military systems and indigenous strategic military cultures through study for the “development of an indigenous strategic vocabulary, which is rooted in India’s philosophy and culture”.
The project, it said, launches a new era signifying its commitment to nurture a future where India’s military might and strategic thinking are enhanced by India’s “rich and strategic past”.
Through the project, the Army wants to educate junior military leaders and inform senior military commanders and academia to “facilitate the creation of a knowledge pool for scholars and defence personnel for further studies, which will create an understanding of the relevance of these findings in a contemporary context”, it added.
“The indigenous concepts, varied approaches to warfare and leadership, and unique strategies propounded in our ancient texts like those by Kautilya and Kamandaka provide a fertile ground from which to cultivate strategies and doctrines that are not only contextually relevant to the Indian military landscape but also provide a foundation upon which new, innovative strategies can be developed,” it said.
(Edited by Uttara Ramaswamy)
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