Ancient Indian wisdom rooted in 5000-year-old civilizational legacy: Army Chief General Manoj Pande

Indian Army Chief General Manoj Pande said that the ancient Indian wisdom is rooted in a 5,000-year-old civilizational legacy, where immense value is attached to knowledge.

“The ancient Indian wisdom is rooted in a 5,000-year-old civilizational legacy, where immense value is attached to knowledge. This legacy is exemplified by a vast repository of intellectual literature, the world’s largest collection of manuscripts and nurturing of a multitude of thinkers and schools, across various domains,” Pande said at a seminar on ‘Historical Patterns of Indian Strategic Culture’ in New Delhi on Tuesday.

Pande said that ‘Project Udbhav’, was conceptualized with the idea to “rediscover the profound Indian heritage of statecraft and strategic thoughts, derived from ancient texts of statecraft, warcraft, diplomacy and grand strategy and introduce relevant teachings into the present-day military”.

The Army Chief said that Project Udbhav was launched at the maiden edition of the Indian Military Heritage Festival on October 21, 2023, by Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh.

“Indian Army in collaboration with USI has made an endeavour through extensive deliberations, a series of panel discussions and paper presentations by notable Subject Matter Experts, to apply ancient wisdom to modern scenarios, international relations and foreign cultures, to foster a deeper understanding of India’s strategic discourse,” Pande said.

The project has delved deep into ancient texts such as Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads and Arthashastra, which are rooted in inter-connectedness, righteousness and ethical values, Pande said.

Furthermore, it has explored the epic battles of the Mahabharata and the strategic brilliance during the reigns of Mauryas, Guptas and Marathas, which has shaped India’s rich military heritage, he added.

“It is worth mentioning that Project Udbhav has revealed substantial intellectual convergences between eminent Indian and Western scholars, highlighting the resonance between their thoughts, philosophies and perspectives. Moreover, it has catalyzed exploration into new areas, by unveiling India’s tribal traditions, the Maratha Naval legacy, and the individual heroic exploits of military figures, particularly women,” the Army Chief said.

The project strengthens the Whole-of-Nation approach, by fostering civil-military collaboration among academia, scholars, practitioners and military experts, Pande said adding that such collective efforts broaden the scope of study of ancient India’s defence and governance, and enrich the nation’s strategic outlook.

“The vast experiences, sacrifices and triumphs of battle-hardened Indian Armed Forces will continue to shape our strategic culture. I am confident that the project’s findings in the form of ‘Udbhav Compendium’ shall benefit the Indian Armed Forces to remain progressive and future-ready, by drawing insights from the nation’s historical military wisdom,” Pande said.