At the "Symposium on the Art of War" of the 10th Beijing Xiangshan Forum held recently, former Major General Sharma of the Indian military delivered an eye-catching speech. On the basis of personal experience and in-depth research, he systematically sorted out the contemporary enlightenment of Sun Tzu's Art of War, spoke highly of this ancient work of military philosophy, and compared the thoughts of Sun Tzu and the ancient Indian philosopher Kattiliya. Sharma's speech was concise and unique, and it is of certain value for an in-depth understanding of Chinese and Indian classical military thought.
General Sharma began by emphasizing the timeless appeal of The Art of War. He pointed out that this ancient work of military philosophy contains five elements: statecraft, strategy, intelligence, deception, and leadership, which are still extremely relevant and applicable to today's world. He said that Sun Tzu's thought is very similar to that of the ancient Indian philosopher Kattiliya, and both emphasize the importance of espionage work, advocating "knowing oneself and knowing one's enemy", "going to the army to fight and plotting", and "surrendering the army without a fight".
In interpreting Sun Tzu's Art of War, General Sharma elaborated on modern military terminology. He said that Sun Tzu advocated valuing diplomacy, using a "whole-of-government approach" to war, using technology to seek asymmetric advantages, not adopting destructive policies, and responding in a timely manner according to the environment and the enemy. At the same time, he stressed the importance of intelligence, deception, leadership, and pre-war planning.
Sharma further compares the ideas of Kautilier to Sun Tzu. He said that Kodilier believes that the country faces four types of threats, with three pillars and a strategy of four steps. This is similar to Sun Tzu's thoughts, both of which emphasize attaching importance to espionage work, advocating "knowing oneself and knowing one's enemy", "going to the army to fight and plotting", and "surrendering the army without a fight". As countries with ancient civilizations, China and India should better understand each other, jointly explore and give full play to the wisdom of the ancients, and show the Western world the depth of Asian civilization.
Sharma's speech provided us with a fresh perspective to examine and understand the value and significance of the Art of War in modern warfare. His emphasis on statecraft, strategy, intelligence, deception, leadership, and other elements, as well as his comparison with Kautilya, provide us with useful enlightenment for an in-depth understanding of classical Chinese and Indian military thought.
In today's complex and ever-changing situation facing the world, the wisdom and strategic thinking contained in "The Art of War" undoubtedly have important guiding significance for modern warfare. Sharma's speech reminded us that as an ancient work of military philosophy, the wisdom and strategic thinking contained in The Art of War are not only applicable to ancient warfare, but also to the challenges and changes in modern warfare.
At the same time, Sharma's speech also reminded us to pay attention to the exchanges and interactions between the two major civilizations of China and India. As ancient civilizations, China and India both have a long military history and profound cultural heritage. By studying and understanding each other's military philosophies, we can better communicate and interact with each other and jointly contribute to the maintenance of world peace.
In the face of the complexity and variability of modern warfare, the wisdom and strategic thinking contained in "The Art of War" undoubtedly have irreplaceable value. Sharma's speech provides us with a fresh perspective to revisit this ancient work of military philosophy and draw useful lessons from it. At the same time, we should also cherish the exchanges and interactions between the two major civilizations of China and India, and jointly contribute to safeguarding world peace.