Army to rediscover ‘Indic heritage of statecraft’ from texts
Context
In collaboration with the United Service Institution of India (USI), a defense think tank, the Indian Army has launched a project called Project Udbhav to reexamine the “profound Indic heritage of statecraft and strategic thoughts” drawn from historic Indian texts on “statecraft, warcraft, diplomacy, and grand strategy.”
What is the Project Udbhav?
Project Udbhav, an important and forward-thinking effort by the Indian Army, aims to draw on India’s rich history of statecraft, strategy, diplomacy, and warfare. It tries to close the gap between historical knowledge and modern military strategy while acknowledging the timeless wisdom found in ancient Indian writings.
What are the features of the Project Udbhav?
- Rediscovering Indic Heritage:Project Udbhav’s main objective is to re-discover the rich Indic tradition of statecraft and strategic thought that can be found in early Indian writings. It recognizes the significance of historical knowledge in forming contemporary military tactics.
- Collaboration with USI: To carry out this program, the Indian Army is working with the United Service Institution of India (USI), a military think tank. This collaboration blends academic research with military expertise.
- Hybrid Seminars: As part of Project Udbhav, the program has already started holding seminars on subjects like the development of Indian military systems, combat, and strategic thinking. The goal of these seminars is to examine and resurrect India’s traditional knowledge of statecraft and strategy.
- Relevance in Modern battle: The Indian Army sees Project Udbhav as a crucial endeavor to integrate historical knowledge with modern military techniques, despite some people’s concerns about the relevance of ancient Indian strategic doctrines in modern battle. It complies with the government’s instruction to remove remnants of the colonial era from the armed services.
- Development of Indigenous Strategic Vocabulary: Project Udbhav aspires to create an indigenous strategic vocabulary anchored in India’s rich philosophical and cultural legacy in addition to rediscovering historical narratives. This vocabulary can be used in contemporary military education.
- Indian Statement Compilation: The Indian Army has been hard working on accumulating Indian strategic conceptions based on ancient writings. A book featuring 75 aphorisms that were chosen from these writings will also be published as part of this initiative.
- Focus on Ancient works and Scholars: Project Udbhav’s discussions cover works from the fourth to the eighth centuries BC, with a focus on thinkers like Kautilya, Kamandaka, and the Kural.
- Strategically Adept Force:The Indian Army seeks to arm its commanders with the capacity to apply ancient knowledge to contemporary situations by restoring classical teachings into modern military and strategic realms. The goal of this effort is to increase the Indian Military’s strategic capabilities by fostering a greater understanding of global politics and other cultures.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Project Udbhav is an effort to re-discover and incorporate India’s traditional statecraft and strategy into contemporary military thinking. It seeks to create a link between historical accounts and current security issues while also creating an original indigenous strategic lexicon. A part of this endeavor is the Military Heritage Festival, which seeks to increase future leaders’ knowledge of and appreciation for India’s military history and strategic culture.
