Kutayuddha or kuta-yuddha ( Sanskrit: कूटयुद्ध ISO: kūṭayuddha/ kūṭa-yuddha, also spelt Kootayudha) is a Sanskrit word made up of two roots: kuta (कूट) commonly explained as evil genius, crooked, devious, unjust or unrighteousness, and yuddha (युद्ध) meaning warfare. [1] [2] [3] While there is no exact English translation, kutayuddha is explained as the opposite of dharma-yuddha (from the concept dharma), which is in turn is explained as ethical, righteous or just war and warfare. Take ethics out of war, and you have real warfare, a kutayuddha. [1] [2] It is also known as Citrayuddha. [4]
The Mahabharata is considered a war which was a dharma-yuddha; however the war itself contains practices of both kutayuddha and dharma-yuddha. [1] The ancient Indian treatise Arthashastra (3rd century BCE), credited to Kautilya, gives a substantial amount of space to the methods of kutayuddha such as deception. [5] In Hindu philosophy dharma-yuddha reigns and is the ultimate winner; however in practice kutayuddha is the necessary standard or way of life and war. [5] The contrast of kuta-yuddha and dharma-yuddha is similar to what Machiavelli attempts to explain in The Prince (1532). [6] The deception mentioned in Tacitus' book about the history of the Roman Empire also has similarities to concepts in Kautilya’s kutayuddha. [7] Kutayuddha has been called a defensive concept as opposed to an offensive one. [4] [8] A milder version of katuyuddha emerged around 900 CE. [9] Nitisara, another ancient Indian treatise tried to balance the binaries. [10] Katuyuddha also finds its way into Panchatantra and Hitopadesha. [10] Shukra-Niti says that if a ruler is too weak to engage in any sort of battle including an attack from the rear, then ruler must then use guerrilla warfare. [11]
Kutayuddha is contrasted with prakasha-yudha that can be translated as "illuminated or open warfare", in which the place and time of the battle are announced. [12] [1] [2] Asura-yuddha is a type of kutayuddha that is a more lethal and amoral in terms of outcome. [6] Tusnimdandena, using techniques such as deception or poisoning to remove enemy leaders, [7] extends to tushnim-yuddha (silent warfare). [4] Components of kutayuddha include Dvaidhibhava (having a dual policy), Dvaidhibhutah (making a pact with the enemy to attack another), having patience when third parties are fighting in a kalaha (life or death struggle), promoting enmity between third parties and attacking a third party which is facing leadership problems. [13] Some proponents of kuttayuddha include attacking non-combatants. [3]
- ^ a b c d Deshingkar, Strategic thinking in ancient India and China (1996), p. I.
- ^ a b c Roy 2012, p. xiv-xv, Glossary.
- ^ a b Roy 2009, p. 54. "kutayuddha: Unjust war involving deception, treachery, etc. In such conflict, everything is free and fair. Night attacks, ambushes, tactical retreat and then launching a sudden counterattack, misinforming and disinforming the enemy, poisoning the enemy’s leadership, and harming the non-combatants of the enemy country are some of the techniques of kutayuddha."
- ^ a b c Balakrishna, Sandeep (6 October 2018). "The Hindu Code of War Ethics and Jihad". The Dharma Dispatch. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ^ a b Deshingkar, Strategic thinking in ancient India and China (1996), p. II.
- ^ a b Roy 2012, p. 71, 3: Kautilya’s Kutayuddha.
- ^ a b Roy 2012, p. 76-77, 3: Kautilya's Kutayuddha.
- ^ Roy 2009, p. 38.
- ^ Roy 2009, p. 31.
- ^ a b Roy 2009, p. 39.
- ^ Roy 2009, p. 40.
- ^ Gautam, Pradeep Kumar (2013). "Understanding Kautilya's Arthashastra". World Affairs: The Journal of International Issues. Kapur Surya Foundation: 35. JSTOR 48535489.
- ^ Roy 2012, p. 77, 3: Kautilya's Kutayuddha.
- Bibliography
- Deshingkar, Giri (1996-02-01). "Strategic Thinking of Kautilya and Sun Zi". China Report. 32 (1). SAGE: 1–13. doi: 10.1177/000944559603200101. ISSN 0009-4455. S2CID 143301563.
- — Deshingkar, Giri. "Strategic thinking in Ancient India and China: Kautilya and Sunzi". ignca.gov.in. Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- Roy, Kaushik (2012-10-15). Hinduism and the Ethics of Warfare in South Asia: From Antiquity to the Present. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-139-57684-0.
- Roy, Kaushik (2009). "2: Norms of war in Hinduism". In Popovski, Vesselin; Reichberg, Gregory M.; Turner, Nicholas (eds.). World religions and norms of war (PDF). United Nations University Press. ISBN 978-92-808-1163-6.
- Deshpande, Anirudh (2014). Roy, Kaushik (ed.).
"A Panegyric for the Brahmans". Economic and Political Weekly. 49 (4): 38.
ISSN
0012-9976.
JSTOR
24479419 – via JSTOR.
... it is unclear why dharmayuddha and kutayuddha should be seen in tension with each other.
Kutayuddha or kuta-yuddha ( Sanskrit: कूटयुद्ध ISO: kūṭayuddha/ kūṭa-yuddha, also spelt Kootayudha) is a Sanskrit word made up of two roots: kuta (कूट) commonly explained as evil genius, crooked, devious, unjust or unrighteousness, and yuddha (युद्ध) meaning warfare. [1] [2] [3] While there is no exact English translation, kutayuddha is explained as the opposite of dharma-yuddha (from the concept dharma), which is in turn is explained as ethical, righteous or just war and warfare. Take ethics out of war, and you have real warfare, a kutayuddha. [1] [2] It is also known as Citrayuddha. [4]
The Mahabharata is considered a war which was a dharma-yuddha; however the war itself contains practices of both kutayuddha and dharma-yuddha. [1] The ancient Indian treatise Arthashastra (3rd century BCE), credited to Kautilya, gives a substantial amount of space to the methods of kutayuddha such as deception. [5] In Hindu philosophy dharma-yuddha reigns and is the ultimate winner; however in practice kutayuddha is the necessary standard or way of life and war. [5] The contrast of kuta-yuddha and dharma-yuddha is similar to what Machiavelli attempts to explain in The Prince (1532). [6] The deception mentioned in Tacitus' book about the history of the Roman Empire also has similarities to concepts in Kautilya’s kutayuddha. [7] Kutayuddha has been called a defensive concept as opposed to an offensive one. [4] [8] A milder version of katuyuddha emerged around 900 CE. [9] Nitisara, another ancient Indian treatise tried to balance the binaries. [10] Katuyuddha also finds its way into Panchatantra and Hitopadesha. [10] Shukra-Niti says that if a ruler is too weak to engage in any sort of battle including an attack from the rear, then ruler must then use guerrilla warfare. [11]
Kutayuddha is contrasted with prakasha-yudha that can be translated as "illuminated or open warfare", in which the place and time of the battle are announced. [12] [1] [2] Asura-yuddha is a type of kutayuddha that is a more lethal and amoral in terms of outcome. [6] Tusnimdandena, using techniques such as deception or poisoning to remove enemy leaders, [7] extends to tushnim-yuddha (silent warfare). [4] Components of kutayuddha include Dvaidhibhava (having a dual policy), Dvaidhibhutah (making a pact with the enemy to attack another), having patience when third parties are fighting in a kalaha (life or death struggle), promoting enmity between third parties and attacking a third party which is facing leadership problems. [13] Some proponents of kuttayuddha include attacking non-combatants. [3]
- ^ a b c d Deshingkar, Strategic thinking in ancient India and China (1996), p. I.
- ^ a b c Roy 2012, p. xiv-xv, Glossary.
- ^ a b Roy 2009, p. 54. "kutayuddha: Unjust war involving deception, treachery, etc. In such conflict, everything is free and fair. Night attacks, ambushes, tactical retreat and then launching a sudden counterattack, misinforming and disinforming the enemy, poisoning the enemy’s leadership, and harming the non-combatants of the enemy country are some of the techniques of kutayuddha."
- ^ a b c Balakrishna, Sandeep (6 October 2018). "The Hindu Code of War Ethics and Jihad". The Dharma Dispatch. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- ^ a b Deshingkar, Strategic thinking in ancient India and China (1996), p. II.
- ^ a b Roy 2012, p. 71, 3: Kautilya’s Kutayuddha.
- ^ a b Roy 2012, p. 76-77, 3: Kautilya's Kutayuddha.
- ^ Roy 2009, p. 38.
- ^ Roy 2009, p. 31.
- ^ a b Roy 2009, p. 39.
- ^ Roy 2009, p. 40.
- ^ Gautam, Pradeep Kumar (2013). "Understanding Kautilya's Arthashastra". World Affairs: The Journal of International Issues. Kapur Surya Foundation: 35. JSTOR 48535489.
- ^ Roy 2012, p. 77, 3: Kautilya's Kutayuddha.
- Bibliography
- Deshingkar, Giri (1996-02-01). "Strategic Thinking of Kautilya and Sun Zi". China Report. 32 (1). SAGE: 1–13. doi: 10.1177/000944559603200101. ISSN 0009-4455. S2CID 143301563.
- — Deshingkar, Giri. "Strategic thinking in Ancient India and China: Kautilya and Sunzi". ignca.gov.in. Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. Retrieved 2021-09-21.
- Roy, Kaushik (2012-10-15). Hinduism and the Ethics of Warfare in South Asia: From Antiquity to the Present. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-1-139-57684-0.
- Roy, Kaushik (2009). "2: Norms of war in Hinduism". In Popovski, Vesselin; Reichberg, Gregory M.; Turner, Nicholas (eds.). World religions and norms of war (PDF). United Nations University Press. ISBN 978-92-808-1163-6.
- Deshpande, Anirudh (2014). Roy, Kaushik (ed.).
"A Panegyric for the Brahmans". Economic and Political Weekly. 49 (4): 38.
ISSN
0012-9976.
JSTOR
24479419 – via JSTOR.
... it is unclear why dharmayuddha and kutayuddha should be seen in tension with each other.