Volume-XII, Issue-II, March 2026 |
Ancient Statecraft and Modern Security Policy: The Contemporary Relevance of Kautilya’s Spy Theory Ibrahim Ali Mondal, Research Scholar, Dept. of Sanskrit, Seacom Skills University, Bolpur, West Bengal, India |
Received: 15.03.2026 | Accepted: 17.03.2026 | Published Online: 31.03.2026 | Page No: | ||||
DOI: 10.29032/ijhsss.vol.12.issue.02W. | |||||||
ABSTRACT | ||
The title of this research paper is Ancient Statecraft and Modern Security Policy: The Contemporary Relevance of Kautilya’s Spy Theory.” The main objective of this study is to analyze the theoretical foundation and practical structure of the spy system in ancient Indian political thought and to make a comparative evaluation of it with the intelligence system of modern India. The ancient Indian political thinker Kautilya in his famous treatise Arthashastra presented a well-organized and multidimensional spy system, which appears as an effective means to ensure state security, administrative control, and the welfare of the subjects. The intelligence structure of contemporary India is technology-based, institutional, and multifaceted. Modern intelligence agencies play an important role in internal security, border protection, counter-terrorism, and strategic information gathering. Although methodological differences can be observed due to the changes in time and context, a certain continuity can still be noticed between the ancient and modern systems in terms of these fundamental principles— information-based administration, covert operations, and multidimensional surveillance. Through historical analysis and a comparative method, this research attempts to demonstrate that Kautilya’s spy theory is not only an example of ancient political wisdom but also remains relevant and influential in the field of security policy of the modern state system. Therefore, both the relationship and the differences between ancient and modern intelligence systems are considered important subjects of discussion in the fields of political science and security studies.Kautilya’s Spy Theory, Arthashastra, Intelligence systems are considered important subjects of discussion in the fields of political science and security studies. | ||
Keywords: Systems, National Security Policy, Comparative Political Analysis |