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STRATEGY ,WAR AND
                         WEAPONS IN THE
                         MAHABHARATA




             By
Maj Gen (Dr.) GD Bakshi, SM,
        VSM, (Retd)
LEARNING FROM HISTORY
                 THE MULTI-POLAR CONTEXT
•   The period of the warring kingdoms occurred in China
    during the Fifth Century BC, when six large kingdoms
    constantly struggled for supremacy.
•   Most Chinese Military theories on War are traced back to
    this period- including Sun Tzu’s The Art of War.
•   Chinese scholars feel this period of the warring kingdoms
    in Chinese History is very deeply analogous to the
    present day era of a Multi-polar world order.
•   Hence there are valuable lessons to be learnt from the
    Chinese period of the warring kingdoms that are very
    relevant in the modern context.
•   Senior Col Liu Chungzhi of the Strategic Dept of the NDU
    states that the “Multi –Polar world order of today is
    amazingly similar to the warring states era”.
•   In 1996, the General Staff Dept of the PLA published six
    volumes of studies of ancient statecraft and war fighting
    strategies of that ancient period that contained advice on
    how to comprehend the current and future security
    environment based on an analysis of the ancient past.
MULTI-POLARITY IN INDIAN MILITARY
                        HISTORY
•   There were two major periods of Multi-polarity in Indian
    history. The Mahabharata and the period preceding the
    Mauryan Empire.
•   Most of Indian writings on war/statecraft can be traced to
    these periods of multipolarity.
•   These resulted in the Mahabharta and the Arthashastra as
    the principle texts that recorded the Strategic culture of
    their eras.
•   in the later Vedic age and before the Mauryan empire
    there were 16 major states or Maha Janapadas that were
    constantly at war with one another.

•   The first period of the warring kingdoms (of Multi-
    polarity) in India led to the mighty Armageddon of the
    Mahabharata., a destructive and highly debilitating
    civilisational conflict.
•   The second led to the establishment of the Mauryan
    empire that for the first time, transformed India from a
    civilisational to a unified political entity and truly
THE GEOPLOITICAL CONTEXT OF THE
                    MAHABHARATA
•   Let us focus today on the First Phase of Multi-polarity in
    India to derive lessons for the current context. A deeper
    analysis indicates a sophistication of strategic thought
    that is surprising and has great lessons for the present.
•   Ideological context: Before the Mahabharata war, there
    was an upsurge of democratic ideas in India with the rise
    of the clan republics of the Yadavas in Mathura- led by
    Krishna and Balarama.
•   Like the French Revolution, this upsurge of democratic
    ideas greatly perturbed the monarchies in India.
•   All the monarchies combined to form a Confederacy of
    kings led by Jarasandh to destroy the emerging Yadava
    Republic in Mathura.
•   Like Mao-ze-dong, Krishna broke from tradition by
    engaging in a massive strategic retreat from Mathura to
    Gujrat- to escape the incessant attacks of the monarchial
    powers.
•   Once in Gujarata, he was not sidelined from the Indian
    geostrategic scenario. It is said he deliberately
    engineered a major war between the monarchial states by
STRATEGIC THOUGHT: MAHABHARATA TO
                      KAUTILYA
•   As a grand strategy- Krishna’s design of engineering a
    major clash between the monarchial powers (on the
    principle of succession) was a masterpiece of strategic
    thinking.
•   It is only matched by the British Success during the
    Second World War in inducing Nazi Germany and Soviet
    Union to clash and destroy one another. This
    Armageddon however- also drained the British Empire( A
    result rather similar to the Mahabharata narrative).
•   India splintered thereafter into a number of feuding states
    and clan republics that were constantly at war with one
    another.
•   The Greek invasion of Alexander in the Third Century BC
    was met with disarray on the Indian side. This threat of
    the Greek Non-self helped to crystallize the Indian sense
    of Self.
•   Kautilya forced Alexander to abort his invasion by a
    spectacular Psychological/ Information operation that
    exploited the terrific impact of the war elephants on the
    Greek Psyche.
VEDIC – CHARIOT BASED RMA
RMA BASED ANALYSIS OF INDIAN MILITARY
              HISTORY (EARLY VEDIC AGE)
•   Armies of the early Vedic age had two basic arms -
    Infantry and Chariots. The nascent RMA of war chariots
    enabled chariot mounted archers to arrive fresh in the
    battle field
     •   Chariots could carry large quantities of armaments (spears,
         arrows, javelins)
     •   Chariots gave limited protection to combatants
     •   Mounted platform for fighting/command & control
     •   Solid wheels, later spoked wheels
•   The mass x velocity approach – an attrition oriented
    paradigm. Tribal basis of military organisation (Kula, Vis,
    Jana)
•   Battles of the early Vedic age
     •   Sieges of a 100 fort-cities. Destruction of 90 forts of Dasyu
         ruler Shambara by King Divodasa. Indra called Purandara –
         destroyer of forts
     •   Battles with the Dasas, Panis and other local tribes
     •   Dasarajan. War of 10 kings won by king Sudasa on the banks
         of the Ravi river (1900 BC)
     •   Down River Naval expeditions? Ships with a hundred oars?
     •   Sea borne trade /commerce. Pirate attacks
THE LATER VEDIC PERIOD : THE EVOLUTION OF
           THE FOUR ARMED MILITARY ORGANISATION OF
                        MAHABHARATA
•   The 16 Mahajanapadas. 16 large states/kingdoms emerged in
    the Indo Gangetic Plains (Gandhara, Kamboja, Assaka, Vatsa,
    Avanti, Shursena, Chedi, Malla, Kuru, Panchala, Matsya, Vrijji,
    Kashi, Koshala, Maghada and Anga )
•   Analogues to the Period of the Warring Kingdoms in China
    (450 – 300 BC). Six states of Chi, Chu, Chin, Wei, Han and
    Chao engaged in incessant warfare. Sun Tzu and number of
    military theorists emerged in this period and the Art of war
    was formalized in China
•   Chaturanga Bala. Organizational RMA of four limbed armies
    crystallised by the Mahabartan period in India (1400 BC – 900
    BC?) along with attrition theories of war


    Chariots       War Elephants    Horse Cavalry        Infantry
    (Ratha)           (Gaja)                             (Paditi)
                                      (Ashwa)
KAMBOJA
GANDHARA



     PANCHALA




                     KURU




                            KOSALA



                                 KASHI
                                     MAGADHA   AN
                                                 GA
MAHABHARATAN PARADIGM
• Vyuhas Formations and battle drills to
  coordinate action of the four variable speed
  maneuver masses on a given battle field.
  (Evolved from the game of Chausar or
  Indian Chess)” Kill drills or combined arms
  battle drills
• Attrition Oriented Approach. Force on force
  engagements to wear the opponent down by
  sheer attrition. Enemy expected to be met in
  a designated battle plain where Vyuha drills
  could be applied for systematic slaughter
• Chivalry. No fighting by night, no attacks on
  fleeing soldiers etc. Gladiatorial contests –
  Chariots fought Chariots
Strategy, war and weapons in the mahabharata   by maj gen (dr.) gd bakshi, sm, vsm, (retd)
Makara Vyuha
Shakta Vyuha
Sarbatomukha Vyuha
German Laager Adopts Defensive Formation as Screen
             Contacts British Armour
Strategy, war and weapons in the mahabharata   by maj gen (dr.) gd bakshi, sm, vsm, (retd)
German Laager Adopts Defensive Formation as Screen
             Contacts British Armour
Strategy, war and weapons in the mahabharata   by maj gen (dr.) gd bakshi, sm, vsm, (retd)

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Strategy, war and weapons in the mahabharata by maj gen (dr.) gd bakshi, sm, vsm, (retd)

  • 1. STRATEGY ,WAR AND WEAPONS IN THE MAHABHARATA By Maj Gen (Dr.) GD Bakshi, SM, VSM, (Retd)
  • 2. LEARNING FROM HISTORY THE MULTI-POLAR CONTEXT • The period of the warring kingdoms occurred in China during the Fifth Century BC, when six large kingdoms constantly struggled for supremacy. • Most Chinese Military theories on War are traced back to this period- including Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. • Chinese scholars feel this period of the warring kingdoms in Chinese History is very deeply analogous to the present day era of a Multi-polar world order. • Hence there are valuable lessons to be learnt from the Chinese period of the warring kingdoms that are very relevant in the modern context. • Senior Col Liu Chungzhi of the Strategic Dept of the NDU states that the “Multi –Polar world order of today is amazingly similar to the warring states era”. • In 1996, the General Staff Dept of the PLA published six volumes of studies of ancient statecraft and war fighting strategies of that ancient period that contained advice on how to comprehend the current and future security environment based on an analysis of the ancient past.
  • 3. MULTI-POLARITY IN INDIAN MILITARY HISTORY • There were two major periods of Multi-polarity in Indian history. The Mahabharata and the period preceding the Mauryan Empire. • Most of Indian writings on war/statecraft can be traced to these periods of multipolarity. • These resulted in the Mahabharta and the Arthashastra as the principle texts that recorded the Strategic culture of their eras. • in the later Vedic age and before the Mauryan empire there were 16 major states or Maha Janapadas that were constantly at war with one another. • The first period of the warring kingdoms (of Multi- polarity) in India led to the mighty Armageddon of the Mahabharata., a destructive and highly debilitating civilisational conflict. • The second led to the establishment of the Mauryan empire that for the first time, transformed India from a civilisational to a unified political entity and truly
  • 4. THE GEOPLOITICAL CONTEXT OF THE MAHABHARATA • Let us focus today on the First Phase of Multi-polarity in India to derive lessons for the current context. A deeper analysis indicates a sophistication of strategic thought that is surprising and has great lessons for the present. • Ideological context: Before the Mahabharata war, there was an upsurge of democratic ideas in India with the rise of the clan republics of the Yadavas in Mathura- led by Krishna and Balarama. • Like the French Revolution, this upsurge of democratic ideas greatly perturbed the monarchies in India. • All the monarchies combined to form a Confederacy of kings led by Jarasandh to destroy the emerging Yadava Republic in Mathura. • Like Mao-ze-dong, Krishna broke from tradition by engaging in a massive strategic retreat from Mathura to Gujrat- to escape the incessant attacks of the monarchial powers. • Once in Gujarata, he was not sidelined from the Indian geostrategic scenario. It is said he deliberately engineered a major war between the monarchial states by
  • 5. STRATEGIC THOUGHT: MAHABHARATA TO KAUTILYA • As a grand strategy- Krishna’s design of engineering a major clash between the monarchial powers (on the principle of succession) was a masterpiece of strategic thinking. • It is only matched by the British Success during the Second World War in inducing Nazi Germany and Soviet Union to clash and destroy one another. This Armageddon however- also drained the British Empire( A result rather similar to the Mahabharata narrative). • India splintered thereafter into a number of feuding states and clan republics that were constantly at war with one another. • The Greek invasion of Alexander in the Third Century BC was met with disarray on the Indian side. This threat of the Greek Non-self helped to crystallize the Indian sense of Self. • Kautilya forced Alexander to abort his invasion by a spectacular Psychological/ Information operation that exploited the terrific impact of the war elephants on the Greek Psyche.
  • 6. VEDIC – CHARIOT BASED RMA
  • 7. RMA BASED ANALYSIS OF INDIAN MILITARY HISTORY (EARLY VEDIC AGE) • Armies of the early Vedic age had two basic arms - Infantry and Chariots. The nascent RMA of war chariots enabled chariot mounted archers to arrive fresh in the battle field • Chariots could carry large quantities of armaments (spears, arrows, javelins) • Chariots gave limited protection to combatants • Mounted platform for fighting/command & control • Solid wheels, later spoked wheels • The mass x velocity approach – an attrition oriented paradigm. Tribal basis of military organisation (Kula, Vis, Jana) • Battles of the early Vedic age • Sieges of a 100 fort-cities. Destruction of 90 forts of Dasyu ruler Shambara by King Divodasa. Indra called Purandara – destroyer of forts • Battles with the Dasas, Panis and other local tribes • Dasarajan. War of 10 kings won by king Sudasa on the banks of the Ravi river (1900 BC) • Down River Naval expeditions? Ships with a hundred oars? • Sea borne trade /commerce. Pirate attacks
  • 8. THE LATER VEDIC PERIOD : THE EVOLUTION OF THE FOUR ARMED MILITARY ORGANISATION OF MAHABHARATA • The 16 Mahajanapadas. 16 large states/kingdoms emerged in the Indo Gangetic Plains (Gandhara, Kamboja, Assaka, Vatsa, Avanti, Shursena, Chedi, Malla, Kuru, Panchala, Matsya, Vrijji, Kashi, Koshala, Maghada and Anga ) • Analogues to the Period of the Warring Kingdoms in China (450 – 300 BC). Six states of Chi, Chu, Chin, Wei, Han and Chao engaged in incessant warfare. Sun Tzu and number of military theorists emerged in this period and the Art of war was formalized in China • Chaturanga Bala. Organizational RMA of four limbed armies crystallised by the Mahabartan period in India (1400 BC – 900 BC?) along with attrition theories of war Chariots War Elephants Horse Cavalry Infantry (Ratha) (Gaja) (Paditi) (Ashwa)
  • 9. KAMBOJA GANDHARA PANCHALA KURU KOSALA KASHI MAGADHA AN GA
  • 10. MAHABHARATAN PARADIGM • Vyuhas Formations and battle drills to coordinate action of the four variable speed maneuver masses on a given battle field. (Evolved from the game of Chausar or Indian Chess)” Kill drills or combined arms battle drills • Attrition Oriented Approach. Force on force engagements to wear the opponent down by sheer attrition. Enemy expected to be met in a designated battle plain where Vyuha drills could be applied for systematic slaughter • Chivalry. No fighting by night, no attacks on fleeing soldiers etc. Gladiatorial contests – Chariots fought Chariots
  • 15. German Laager Adopts Defensive Formation as Screen Contacts British Armour
  • 17. German Laager Adopts Defensive Formation as Screen Contacts British Armour