Imperatives of Kautilya for Indian Strategic Culture

Authors(1) :-Vishal Pandey

Kautilya, popularly known as Chanakya or Vishnugupta, was the creator of Arthashastra, which was originally published in Sanskrit around 3 BC-2 BC. Kautilya’s Arthashastra was the guiding principle for the king on matters of military strategy, political affairs, economic policy, statecraft, and scientific temper. He was Prime Minister to Chandra Gupta Maurya, King of the Magadha Empire. Kautilya's lessons to Chandra Gupta Maurya were instrumental in the rise of the Magadha Empire. Over time, the Kautilya’s Arthashastra has found its place in the strategic arena. Kautilyan philosophy contributed in the Indian Knowledge System by developing the strategic cultural base which ensures our survival with a comprehensive mechanism of foreign policy tools and diplomacy to administer our relations with other nations in international system. The pragmatic and realist approach propounded by Kautilya is relevant in the contemporary world. In this complex international global power politics, nations are competing hard for the protection and promotion of their national interests where India is also an important player in the competition. The Kautilyan philosophy is and will be relevant in the changing dynamics of international politics. The grand strategy given by Kautilya is now being acknowledged and taken into practice by policy makers in India. The Indian Armed Forces have also recommended ways to inculcate teaching of ancient Indian texts in its training curriculum, which will have positive impact in Indianisation of the armed forces. This paper will examine the role of Kautilyan philosophy in development of Indian strategic culture, as well as its imperative to Indian policymakers. This paper will go on to analyze the significance of Kautilyan philosophy for Indian Knowledge System as well as global strategic thought in today's shifting world order.

Authors and Affiliations

Vishal Pandey
Research Scholar, Department of Defence and Strategic Studies, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, U.P.

Imperatives, Kautilya,Indian, Strategic, Culture

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Publication Details

Published in : Volume 7 | Issue 6 | November-December 2024
Date of Publication : 2024-12-12
License:  This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Page(s) : 108-118
Manuscript Number : SHISRRJ24777
Publisher : Shauryam Research Institute

ISSN : 2581-6306

Cite This Article :

Vishal Pandey, "Imperatives of Kautilya for Indian Strategic Culture", Shodhshauryam, International Scientific Refereed Research Journal (SHISRRJ), ISSN : 2581-6306, Volume 7, Issue 6, pp.108-118, November-December.2024
URL : https://shisrrj.com/SHISRRJ24777

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