State and Government in Ancient India c21.33

c21.33

It seems that as long as annexations were rare, these humane rules of warfare were followed as a general rule. When, however, empires became the order of the day, and the feudal yoke became more and more oppressive, the desire for self-preservation naturally got the upper hand; and all means began to be regarded as fair, which were likely to ensure self-preservation or victory. Kauṭilya gives the commonsense advice; if a state has immense superiority over its opponent, it should follow the chivalrous code (*dharmayuddha*); otherwise it should have recourse to all methods of warfare, whether fair or foul.¹ The view of Bhīshma (*Mbh.* XII. 140) is the same. Śukra concurs with his two predecessors.² In the epic we find both Kauravas and Pāṇḍavas violating the rules of righteous warfare, when hard-pressed. In 1945, America used the atom bomb to ensure speedy victory and save the lives of half a million of her soldiers.