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War is a drama which most historians, poets, and writers like to narrate with passion and vigour.
It is such a powerful and moving topic that when they describe scenes of battlefields, killing and bloodshed, dialogue between victors and the vanquished, they make epics out of such descriptions which sensationalize and thrill upcoming generations. In case of victory or defeat, both sides eulogize their warriors and transform them into heroes for sacrificing their lives to defend the honour and dignity of their country.
In Greek history the ‘Fallen Heroes of Thermopylae,’ who fought against the Persians in defending the pass and were finally killed one by one, are immortalized in the history of Greece. Thucydides devoted his entire historical narrative to the Peloponnesian war fought between Athenians and Spartans. The drama of war becomes more moving and absorbing in the form of poetry as it embodies emotions and sentiments. For example, in the Mahabharata, when Arjuna asks Krishna how he could fight against his own kith and kin who were in front of him: “How shall I fight Bhimsa and Drona with arrows on the battlefield? They are both objects of reverence, O destroyer of foes. It is better to live on alms in this world without slaying these noble elders, because even after killing them we shall enjoy only blood-stained clothes in the form of wealth and a sense of enjoyment.” Krishna encourages him by arguing: “The soul is never born nor dies; it exists on coming into being. For it is unborn, eternal, everlasting and primeval; even though the body is slain, the soul is not.” It convened Arjuna and he fought and won the battle that resulted in creating the great epic of the Mahabharta.
There are thinkers and historians who regard war as an essential force to keep a nation active and alive. Their argument is that war is natural. It is in the psyche of human being and therefore it cannot be avoided. In the words of Heraclitus: “War is the father of all things”. Another writer, Lasaulx, believes that war is divine in character and we find its presence in nature. That is why, he believes, the Indians worship Shiva, the god of destruction. He further writes that a warrior is filled with the joy of destruction: “Wars clear the air like a thunderstorm, steel the nerves and restore heroic virtues upon which states were originally founded, in place of indolence, double-dealing and cowardice”. According to Burckhardt, a Swiss historian, long duration of peace “leads to enervation; it permits the rise of mass of precarious, fear-ridden, distressful lives that would not have survived without it and that nevertheless clamour for “rights”…and degrade the nation. War restores real ability to honour. As for these wretched lives, war may at least reduce them to silence.”
When war is respected and regarded as holy and sacred in a society; warriors and soldiers are honoured and rewarded for their deeds and achievements. Poets compose elegies to pay tribute to their courage and bravery; artists paint them in glowing colours and sculptors carve their statues in order to immortalize their heroic acts. In such an environment those who oppose war are dubbed as cowards and traitors. To die fighting in a battlefield becomes an act of honour and pride. Those who flee to save their life are ridiculed and lose their social status.
History is replete with such incidents. In India, the Rajputs have a tradition highly praised by historians. In the event of their defeat the soldiers performed the ritual of johar by killing their womenfolk and children, and, after donning saffron attire, they fought till the last warrior. During the siege of Chittor (1567) when Akbar witnessed this, he was much impressed by the bravery of the Rajputs. When a Rajput Raja, Jaswant Singh, fled from a battle against Aurangzeb to Mewar (1658), the queen closed the gates of her fort and did not allow him to enter. Another example relates to Abul Fazl, Akbar’s closest friend. When he was coming back from the Deccan, he was informed that under the order of Jahangir the Raja of Bundhela was waiting to kill him. He was advised to change his route. He refused because he regarded it as an act of cowardice. He followed the same route, fought against his enemy and died in the battlefield. It is evident that when a society develops such traditions in which warriors and conquerors assume high status, peace-loving people find little space to live an honourable life. Bravery is a virtue while peace suggests cowardice and sin. In such a society, scholars and people of knowledge lose all respect and became subservient to the warrior class.
Conquerors are heroes in nearly every society. In the words of a writer: if a person kills a man, he is a murderer; if he kills thousands, he is a conqueror. Based on this criterion, Alexander and Cyrus and other murderers became “the Great”. There is another story wherein a pirate told Alexander that they were both bandits; the only difference was of the size of the killing and looting. Therefore, a conqueror having more power has the capacity to loot and plunder more. According to Burckhardt: when conquerors, after devastating cities and massacring people, return to their homeland along with war booty, they are cheered and welcomed by their people and honoured as the chosen people of God.
Machiavelli, the man of Renaissance, believed that war was essential for rulers. According to him war hysteria was a way to divert people’s attention from their problems and prevent them from rebelling. He argued that a nation always needs an enemy. Its presence keeps people united and loyal to their rulers. What Machiavelli said in the 15th century holds true even today as far as our country is concerned. We are in a war-like situation after the creation of our country. The nation is expected to sacrifice fundamental rights, resources, honour and dignity to defend the country. Can a poor, sick, and illiterate nation defend its country?
A time may soon come when there would be nothing left to defend.
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