Army Launches 'Project Udbhav' To Draw Insights From Ancient Indian Texts On Statecraft, Diplomacy And War-Fighting

The Indian Army, in collaboration with the United Service Institution of India (USI), a defence think tank, has launched 'Project Udbhav'.

This initiative aims to rediscover the ancient Indian texts on statecraft, warcraft, diplomacy, and grand strategy, in order to understand the profound Indic heritage in these areas.

To further this goal, the USI will organise a military heritage festival on 21 and 22 October.

The festival aims to familiarise future thought leaders with the dynamics of comprehensive national security, with a special emphasis on India's strategic culture, military heritage, education, modernisation of security forces, and 'Atmanirbhar Bharat'.

“The project endeavours to explore India’s rich historical narratives in the realms of statecraft and strategic thoughts. It focuses on a broad spectrum including indigenous military systems, historical texts, regional texts and kingdoms, thematic studies, and intricate Kautilya studies,” a statment released by the army said.

To dive deep into these topics, a panel discussion was held on Friday (29 September) to examine the "evolution of Indian military systems, war fighting, and strategic thought".

The discussion not only focused on current research but also explored the way forward.

"The initiative stands testimony to the army’s recognition of India’s age-old wisdom in statecraft, strategy, diplomacy, and warfare," the statement said.

The statement added, “the goal is to understand the profound depths of indigenous military systems, their evolution, strategies that have been passed down through the ages, and the strategic thought processes that have governed the land for millennia.”

The goal of Project Udbhav is not only to rediscover these narratives but also to develop an indigenous strategic vocabulary that is deeply rooted in India's multifaceted philosophical and cultural tapestry.

The aim is to integrate ancient wisdom with modern military pedagogy, according to the statement.

Furthermore, since 2021, a study has been conducted to compile Indian stratagems based on ancient texts.

A book featuring 75 selected aphorisms from these texts, has been published under this study, titled Paramparik Bhartiya Darshan...Ranniti aur Netriyta ke Shashwat Niyam, which is meant to be read by all ranks of the Indian Army.

It translates to "Traditional Indian Philosophy...Eternal Rules of Warfare and Leadership."

Moreover in the panel discussion held on Friday, the focus was on the study of ancient texts from the fourth century BCE to the eighth century CE, specifically Kautilya, Kamandaka, and the Kural.

By reintroducing these classical teachings into contemporary military and strategic domains, the army aims to nurture its officers to apply ancient wisdom in modern scenarios. This approach also allows for a deeper understanding of international relations and foreign cultures, the army statement said.