About the Issue

National security is a broad concept that goes beyond the narrow confines of military security and embraces issues related to a wide gamut of traditional and non-traditional threats. This issue of National Security is dedicated to the theme ‘India: History, Civilization and Identity’, which has a bearing on the ideological and ideational threats to national security. History is inseparably related to the making of community identity, and in modern times, to the making of the nation itself. In the Introductory Essay, guest editor to this special issue, Arpita Mitra delineates the various issues at stake when we discuss history and historiography in the context of national security in India.

In their essay, Rupendra Kumar Chattopadhyay and Arkaprava Sarkar discuss various scholarly opinions regarding the early history of the concept of Bharatavarsha—its territorial contours, political dynamics and cultural dimensions. Arvind Gupta argues in his essay that lofty Indian ideals such as Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam need to be assimilated as the basis for the emergent multilateralism, if we hope to establish a new world order of peace and harmony.

Dilip K. Chakrabarti’s article sheds light on the politics of the historiography of ancient India. He also highlights some deeply worrying trends in contemporary Indian archaeology and its implications for national security. In their article, Piyal Bhattacharya and Shreetama Chowdhury trace the journey of the ancient Indian vina or arched harp to countries like Myanmar and Cambodia, thereby demonstrating how India was the fountainhead of foundational theories upon which classical string instruments have developed in various cultures outside India. M B Rajani and Shalini Dixit’s article discusses the potential of geospatial technologies for helping us identify hidden archaeological sites, as identification is the first step towards protecting these sites from destruction due to activities like construction and so on.

This issue addresses as many dimensions as possible related to Indian history, starting from national identity to the protection of Indian heritage, that have a bearing on India’s national security.

Letters and Comments

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Editor's Note

Editorial Board

International Editorial Advisory Board

Contents: Vol. IV Issue I | January – March 2021

Essays

Rescuing the Nation from History: Implications of Indian Historiography for National Security | Arpita Mitra

The Early Concept of Bharatavarsha | Rupendra Kumar Chattopadhyay & Arkaprava Sarkar

Reimagining Multilateralism : The Ethos and Philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam | Arvind Gupta

Articles

Nationalism in the Study of Ancient Indian History | Dilip K Chakrabarti

How the Ancient Indian Vīṇā Travelled to Other Asian Countries: A Reconstruction though Scriptures, Sculptures, Paintings and Living Traditions | Piyal Bhattacharya and Shreetama Chowdhury

Potential of Geospatial Technologies as a Cognitive and Spatio-visual tool for Mapping the Past | M B Rajani & Shalini Dixit

Book Reviews

Kautilya’s Arthashastra: Fusion of the Philosophical and the Strategic | Kajari Kamal

Comparing India and China, but not without Western biases | Abanti Bhattacharya

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