Why Nations Fall

Wars seem to be the flavour of the season, notwithstanding the Prime Minister stating on a number of occasions while addressing world leaders that this is not the era of war!

At times, one feels that the world is at war with itself, despite homilies by many. However, ‘wars’ have been an intrinsic part of our world and would remain so, as human beings have proved time and again that they are unable to resolve their problems by peaceful means.

As I write this on the festival of Dussehra, we in India are celebrating a bygone and perhaps mythical war, while wars in different stages and intensities are being fought all over the world!

While the theme of this piece is wars, these were ‘just wars’ against interlopers, where high quality leadership and superior motivation had successfully prevailed.

Nations, States, Empires and Civilisations that have failed or ceased to exist is because they have become weakened over time on account of many wrong practices slipping in. Most fall apart, when danger threatens, do so, not with a bang but with a whimper. Briefly, the important ‘wrong practices’ are:

• Loss of political stability;
• Indolence on account of luxurious living standards;
• Favouring big business at expense of the poor;
• Ignoring technology upgrades;
• Large scale corruption and internal upheaval;
• Mismanagement of economy;
• Most importantly, losing the capacity for self-defence.

The seeds of their destruction are sown deep within their political institutions.

Some countries fail spectacularly, with a total collapse of all state institutions, as in Afghanistan after the Soviet withdrawal and recently when the Americans left in a helter-skelter fashion!

Notwithstanding the above, there are examples of nations fighting back and succeeding. We need to emulate such successes.

History is full of examples where nations have held their own, despite great odds and prevailed. The catalyst is what I refer to as “Will to Power”, which must be inculcated.

The reasons for their succees were leadership of the highest order; cohesiveness among the people; understanding the need for taking on the powerful nation;respect for all; self-sacrifice; character built on moral values; and above all a powerful and highly motivated military to defend themselves.

A few examples from World War II against the German juggernaut at its peak are:

• How Poland Defended itself against Nazi Germany;
• Resistance by the Soviet Union to the German offensive to the East, especially the siege of Stalingrad;
• Battle of Britain for its very survival.

Nearer home, we have the stories of how four small kingdoms prevailed, under their remarkable leaders, against the powerful Mughal Empire over three centuries of our history, viz. 17, 18 and 19th Centuries.

At the outset, let me clarify that the empires I am going to discuss were bigger and more populous than many countries of Europe and the Americas and their victories against the sole superpower of that era, viz. the Mughal Empire, do not reduce their importance, but enhance their taking on the biggest empire of the world at that time.

Let me first briefly refresh the readers of some details of the Mughal Empire.

The Mughals Dynasty was founded by Babur in 1526. Its imperial structure was founded by Akbar the Great around the 1580s which lasted until the 1740s.

During the reigns of Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb, the dynasty reached its zenith in terms of geographical extent, economy, military, and cultural influence.

At that time, it was the wealthiest empire in the world, with also the largest military on earth. Mughals had approximately 24 percent share of world's economy and a military of one million soldiers.

The Mughals ruled almost the whole of South Asia with 160 million subjects, or 23 percent of world's population.

The Dynasty's power rapidly dwindled during 18th century. The power of the last emperor was limited only to the Walled city of Delhi.

Much later, when the Mughal Empire was declining, Maharaja Ranjit Singh kept it, as well as the then rising power: the East India Company, confined while he brought the various Sikh Misls together and expanded his small kingdom into a powerful Sikh Empire in the North.

Compared to the massive and powerful Mughal Empire, these four protgonists were indeed small, but they had the ‘Will’ and the perseverance, inculcated by great leaders of their respective regions that strengthened them to take on this huge empire and succeeded in different measures to do so.

Their successes reconfirm that there is nothing impossible, provided one has the Will, appetite for risks and brave and capable leaders.

A thousand years ago, Rajput kings ruled much of North India. Then they lost to Ghazni, to Ghori, Khilji, Babur and to Akbar. The three most famous Rajput heroes, despite their bravery, were beaten repeatedly in crucial battles. Prithviraj Chauhan was captured and executed after the second battle of Tarain in 1192, while Rana Sanga got away after losing to Babur at Khanua in 1527, as did Rana Pratap after the battle of Haldighati in 1576.

The Rajput’s themselves never lacked commitment, and their courage and valour in battles invariably drew the praise of their enemies.

Where they failed was in discipline, technical and technological prowess, and tactical acumen. Their opponents used complex battle plans involving up to five different divisions: Mounted Archers; A Central Division; two flanks; and a Reserve. On the other hand, the Rajput system was simple, predictable, and perhaps foolish, consisting of a headlong attack with no Plan B. Although the Rajputs usually had a massive numerical advantage, their tactics let them down. There was also no coherent strategy and no unified command, because each member of the confederacy would have his own prestige and ego to uphold, as also the clan leadership.

Rajputs also lacked technological advances, like composite bows and light armour of Ghori’s horsemen, or the matchlocks employed by Babur.

One non-military factor that contributed to Rajput defeats was the opium habit, with increased intake when going into battle.

The Rajput Kingdoms

THE MARATHAS

After carving out a small independent kingdom, Shivaji (1630 –1680), commenced

fighting both the Moghuls and the declining Adilshahi Sultanate of Bijapur.

Shivaji engaged in both alliances and hostilities with the Mughal Empire, the Sultanates and the emerging European powers trying to get a foothold for trade. Shivaji's military forces expanded the Maratha sphere of influence, capturing and building forts, and forming a Maratha Navy.

He established a competent and progressive civil rule with well-structured administrative organisations; political traditions, court conventions and promoted the usage of Marathi and Sanskrit languages, replacing Persian in court and administration.

Shivaji’s military career commenced in 1646, when at age of 16 years, he captured the Torna Fort. In the following two years, he secured several important forts near Pune and in the hinterland and built a new fort, Rajgad that served as the seat of his government.

During the period of 1649–1655, Shivaji paused in his conquests and quietly consolidated his gains.

Until March1657, Shivaji maintained peaceful relations with the Mughal Empire. After defeating the Bijapuri forces in 1659, he concentrated on the Mughals.

After six years of war with Mughals, the Treaty of Purandar was signed in 1665, in which Shivaji agreed to give up 23 of his forts, keeping 12 for himself, and pay compensation of 400,000 gold coins to the Mughals.

After his well-known escape from Agra in 1666, he recommenced his confrontation with the Mughals, till Aurangzeb conferred the title of raja on Shivaji to buy peace, which lasted until 1670. Thereafter, Shivaji launched an offensive against the Mughals and in a span of four months recovered a major portion of the territories surrendered to them earlier.

Shivaji had acquired extensive lands and wealth through his campaigns but needed a formal title. This was done on 06 June 1674 at Raigadh Fort when he was given the title of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj.

After his death, in April 1680 at the age of 50, the era of the Peshwa Confederacy commenced, and the Maratha Empire continued to expand at the expense of the Mughals.

Besides being a great warrior, strategist and diplomat, It was Shivaji's vision that set him apart from the other rulers. He was a great state builder and created a formidable empire.

He introduced land reforms that put an end to exploitation by the village power elite. He also uplifted the status of women. For the first time a landlord was punished for the rape of a village woman. Shivaji also prohibited the prevailing practice of women being employed as concubines for the soldiers of the travelling army. He encouraged soldiers to take up other part-time occupations to retain stronger family ties.

Shivaji had issued ordinances disallowing destruction of mosques and temples.

In nutshell, he was an all-encompassing ruler who had many sides to his personality, other than only military. These qualities were loved by the people of his kingdom, who were ready to sacrifice themselves at his command.

Established by Sukaphaa, a Tal prince from Mong Mao (present-day Yunnan Province, China), he entered the Brahmaputra valley in December 1228 and settled in the area.

By his wise rule and those of his successors, the Ahom way of life and polity absorbed other people of the region, increasing the Ahom numbers significantly.

The Ahom Kingdom came under regular attacks from the Turkic and Afghan rulers of Bengal, but it successfully resisted their advances and even expanded westwards to include territory around the Karatoya river.

The Kingdom saw its first major engagement against the Mughal Empire in 1615. After many battles, the Ahom capital of Garhgaon was occupied by the Mughals in 1662, but they were dislodged in subsequent engagements.

Finally, during the battle of Saraighat in 1671, the Ahoms under General Lachit Borphukan repelled a major Mughal invasion and in the process extended their boundaries westward up to the Manas River. Mughal presence in the region ended permanently by 1682.

The 600-year Ahom rule in Assam came to an end in 1826 when the Burmese defeated the Ahoms, and signed the Treaty of Yandabo. This paved the way for the British entry into the present-day northeastern region of India.

Incidentally, since 1999, The National Defence Academy (NDA), has been conferring the best passing out cadet with the Lachit Borphukan gold medal, named after this great Ahom General.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh was one of the greatest emperors in Indian history and was known as Sher-E-Punjab Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Blinded in one eye and injured in one arm, he had built the great Sikh Empire that covered Punjab, Kashmir, Ladakh, the entire North West.

He was served by able men like Hari Singh Nalwa, Dewan Mokam Chand, Veer Singh Dhillon and Zorawar Singh.

He had also built a modern army and had even recruited European officers to bring in the latest techniques of warfare.

A devout Sikh, he never differentiated persons on the basis of religion. Both his court and army had equal number of Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims. His finance minister was a Hindu Brahmin, his Prime Minister was a Dogra, and his foreign minister was a Muslim.

He also renovated the Golden Temple, gave it the gold plates. Built the Gurudwaras at Patna and Nanded, in honour of Guru Gobind Singh, both of which are considered among the Panch Takth.

A great warrior, an equally able and wise ruler, he was also a truly great human being too.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh was to Sikh history what Chhatrapati Shivaji was to the Marathas and his reign was a golden era.

Nations weaken because their rulers become what one analyst has called “extractive economic institutions”, which destroy incentives, discourage innovation, and sap the talent of their citizens by creating a tilted playing field and robbing them of opportunities.

New businesses are favoured for the benefit of elites who gain much from the “extraction” at the expense of society. Such elites also benefit from rigged political institutions, wielding their power to tilt the system for their benefit. We need to be aware of them and not permit them to function.

Without a strong, people-centric state, there can be no law and order; without which there can be no real economy; and without a real economy, a country is doomed to fail. Intense political extraction breeds instability and failure because, consistent with the iron law of oligarchy, it creates incentives for others to depose the existing elites and take over.

Intense political extraction breeds instability and failure.

Before concluding, I want to reiterate the need to develop what I call ‘Will to Power’, along with a powerful military and a strong economy to endure and shine as a powerful nation of this world.

Conclusion:

Compared to the massive and powerful Mughal Empire, the first three protagonists were indeed small, but they had the ‘Will’ within them, inculcated by great leaders of their respective regions that strengthened them to take on the powerful Mughal Empire and they did succeed.

The fourth protagonist, Maharaja Ranjit Singh, simultaneously kept the troops of the East India Company on the other side of the River Sutlej and successfully tackled the Durrani Empire of Afghanistan, as well as conquered Kashmir, amalgamating the Dogra rulers in his kingdom.

Their successes reconfirm that there is nothing impossible, provided one has the Will, appetite for risks and brave and capable leaders.

The destruction of great civilisations like those of Egypt, Babylonia, Assyria, Persia, Ancient Greece and Rome were all due to their imperialistic ambitions, which brought them vast wealth from loot. The wealth thus gained was used in supplying themselves with the luxuries of life. Hence, they became flabby and lethargic.

The prime cause of their downfall was the instinct or desire to conquer.

It was poet Iqbal who had said:

यूनान मिश्र रोमन,सब मिट गए जहां से,

बाकी मगर है अब तक, नामो निशां हमारा.

कुछ बात है कि हस्ती,मिटती नहीं हमारी,

सदियों रहा है दुश्मन,दौर ए जहां हमारा.

The moot point is how relevant it is today. You be the judge.

Cover Photograph: The invasion and destruction of Iraq.