The enduring relevance of India’s ancient strategic traditions to modern national security and statecraft came into focus at the College of Defence Management (CDM), Secunderabad, where Dr Kajari Kamal, a noted scholar of India’s strategic culture from the Takshashila Institution, addressed participants of the Higher Defence Management Course (HDMC-22).
During the interaction, Dr Kamal spoke on Kautilya’s Arthashastra and India’s soft power, drawing connections between ancient Indian political thought and the challenges faced by states in today’s complex strategic environment. Her address highlighted how ideas developed centuries ago continue to offer useful perspectives on diplomacy, governance, national power, alliances, leadership and strategic decision-making.
The Arthashastra, traditionally attributed to Kautilya, also known as Chanakya or Vishnugupta, is among the most significant works on governance and statecraft to emerge from ancient India. The text examines a wide range of subjects including administration, economics, diplomacy, intelligence, security, warfare and the responsibilities of political leadership.
Dr Kamal’s interaction encouraged participants to look beyond the Arthashastra as merely a historical text and examine its relevance to contemporary strategic thinking. Kautilyan statecraft presents national strength as a combination of several interconnected elements rather than military capability alone. Effective governance, economic strength, capable institutions, intelligence, diplomacy, leadership and the welfare of the population all contribute to the resilience and power of a state.
Such an understanding has particular relevance in the modern strategic environment, where competition increasingly extends beyond conventional military confrontation. Economic influence, emerging technologies, cyber capabilities, information operations, supply chains, diplomacy and strategic partnerships have become important components of national power alongside traditional military strength.
The session also offered an opportunity to examine Kautilya’s understanding of relationships between states. His strategic thinking recognised that international relationships are shaped by interests, geography, relative power and changing circumstances. Alliances and rivalries were therefore viewed as dynamic rather than permanently fixed.
This approach has parallels with the contemporary international system, where countries may cooperate closely in certain areas while simultaneously competing in others. Strategic partnerships can evolve as national interests, security concerns and geopolitical circumstances change.
Another important aspect of Kautilyan thought is the emphasis placed on careful assessment before taking strategic decisions. Diplomacy, negotiation, alliances, strategic patience and the application of power were treated as instruments that could be employed according to prevailing circumstances and the relative strengths of different actors.
This emphasis on adaptability remains relevant at a time when governments and armed forces must operate in an environment characterised by geopolitical uncertainty, rapidly developing technologies and increasingly blurred boundaries between peace, competition and conflict.
Modern strategic competition can simultaneously involve military deterrence, economic pressure, diplomatic engagement, technological restrictions, information campaigns and partnerships. The ability to understand the wider strategic environment and employ different instruments of national power accordingly is therefore increasingly important for military and political decision-makers.
Dr Kamal also explored the relationship between India’s strategic traditions and the country’s soft power. India possesses a vast civilisational heritage encompassing philosophy, literature, spirituality, yoga, Ayurveda, Buddhism, democratic traditions and centuries of cultural interaction with societies across Asia and the wider world.
Unlike coercive forms of power, soft power is largely based on attraction, credibility, cultural influence and the ability to shape perceptions. India’s historical and civilisational connections therefore represent an important dimension of its engagement with the international community.
The discussion highlighted that strategic culture cannot be understood solely through the study of military conflict. Ideas, values, cultural traditions, narratives and intellectual influence can also contribute significantly to a country’s international standing and its ability to build relationships.
In a separate interaction with the Forum on Indian Strategic Culture and Thought (FISCT), Dr Kamal examined the shared yet distinct ideas contained in the Panchatantra and the Arthashastra, offering another perspective on the depth and diversity of India’s strategic traditions.
While the two works differ considerably in their structure and presentation, both contain observations about leadership, relationships, human behaviour, alliances, conflict, judgement and decision-making.
The Arthashastra provides a systematic treatment of governance and statecraft, dealing extensively with administration, diplomacy, economics, intelligence and security. The Panchatantra communicates many of its lessons through interconnected stories involving human and animal characters.
Behind the Panchatantra’s accessible narratives are sophisticated observations about friendship, trust, deception, alliances, conflict and the consequences of poor judgement. Its stories have transmitted practical lessons on human behaviour and decision-making across generations and cultures.
Examining the Panchatantra alongside the Arthashastra therefore provides two different windows into India’s intellectual traditions. While one approaches statecraft through structured political analysis, the other communicates practical wisdom through stories and analogy. Both demonstrate an awareness of human motivations and the importance of understanding behaviour while making decisions.
The interaction with FISCT also explored the spirit of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the ancient Indian idea commonly interpreted as “the world is one family.” The concept has increasingly featured in India’s articulation of its civilisational worldview and approach to international engagement.
Placed alongside the realism and pragmatism associated with Kautilyan statecraft, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam demonstrates the breadth of Indian strategic thought. India’s intellectual traditions include ideas focused on national interest, prudence and the realities of power while also recognising cooperation, interconnectedness and a broader responsibility towards humanity.
The engagement assumes added significance because of the role played by the College of Defence Management in preparing senior military officers for higher command, management and strategic responsibilities. Located in Secunderabad, CDM provides professional military education aimed at developing officers capable of understanding the increasingly complex relationship between defence management, national security and strategic decision-making.
The Higher Defence Management Course exposes participants to subjects extending beyond conventional military operations, including national security, geopolitics, leadership, resource management, technology and strategic affairs. Interactions with scholars specialising in Indian strategic culture can therefore provide officers with additional intellectual frameworks for examining contemporary security challenges.
For decades, much of the formal study of international relations and strategic affairs has been influenced by Western intellectual traditions and historical experiences. Greater engagement with thinkers such as Kautilya provides an opportunity to broaden that intellectual foundation by bringing Indian perspectives into contemporary strategic discussions.
India possesses a substantial body of historical literature dealing with governance, diplomacy, conflict, leadership and human behaviour. Studying these traditions alongside modern strategic theories can contribute to a more diverse understanding of national security and statecraft.
For military leaders preparing to operate in an environment shaped by geopolitical competition, technological disruption, economic interdependence and unconventional security challenges, the ability to examine problems through multiple intellectual frameworks can be particularly valuable.
Dr Kajari Kamal’s interactions at the College of Defence Management and with the Forum on Indian Strategic Culture and Thought ultimately demonstrated that ancient Indian texts can continue to stimulate meaningful discussion about modern strategic challenges.
The international environment has transformed dramatically since the period associated with Kautilya, but many fundamental questions of statecraft remain familiar. States must still determine how to protect their interests, assess friends and adversaries, build alliances, employ national power, manage competition and create opportunities for cooperation.
By bringing India’s ancient strategic wisdom into conversation with contemporary professional military education, such engagements can help future military and strategic leaders draw not only from modern global theories but also from the depth of India’s own intellectual and civilisational traditions.
The theme of ancient wisdom and contemporary strategy therefore represents more than an academic discussion. It reflects a broader effort to understand how India’s strategic heritage can contribute to the country’s thinking as it navigates an increasingly complex, competitive and rapidly changing global environment.
