Attitude of an Assailable Enemy
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Attitude of an Assailable Enemy mainly highlights the attitude of other king who is in danger of being attacked by his enemy. The chapter VIII of Book VI in Arthashastra makes a mention of some of the methods which are commonly used by an assailable king.
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Attitude of an Assailable Enemy, as mentioned in chapter VIII of Book VI in Arthashastra, suggests that when assailable enemy when danger of being attacked by his enemy, may take upon such conditions which led his enemies to either unite or separate from each other and propose to enter into peace with one of them against a payment of an amount which is twice the amount of profit accruing from the combination. After making such agreement he can describe to that king the amount of loss of men and money , the hardship of sojourning abroad, the commission of sinful deeds, and the misery and the other personal troubles to which he has been subjected and as a result when faced with truth has decided to come to a compromise. As such the chapter mainly highlights various types of methods which an assailable enemy as well as a king with a anger can adopt to save himself from traitors.
Attitude of an Assailable Enemy further suggests when a king is inclined to cause to another loss of men and money, or to frustrate the latter to achieve larger profit from the well- begun undertakings, or when means to strike another at his own place or while marching, or when he intends to extract subsidy in the same ratio as with the latter's assailable enemy, or when he needs money and does not trust his allies in such conditions, he can with these make some amount of profit. Besides this when a king has in view to help his friend or destroy his enemy or possibility of acquiring much wealth in return of the present help or when he intends to utilise in future the services of the one now obliged by him, shall choose to reject the small profit of present for some larger gain in future. When a king decides to help one from the clutches of traitors or enemy or from a superior king who himself threatens the very existence of the latter, intends to save him every time in future should receive no profits either in present or in future. Similarly when a king intends to harass the people of the enemy or break the agreement of peace between him and his friend suspecting the latter to attack him or owning to his own cause, he may demand from the latter an amount of profit long before it is due. The latter on return may ask for the procedure at present or in future which shall explain the instances which occurred earlier.
Attitude of an Assailable Enemy specifies that when both the conqueror and his enemy both have one common friend who helps the true and a truer friend while overreaches the other actually enriches himself while the other not only incurs loss of men and money on him but also but also showers benefits on his enemy. In case of Madhyam King, whoever among the conqueror or the enemy, happens to be a friend of the same Madhyam king, helps the Madhyam king of true friendship while overreaching the friendship of the other; shall enrich himself in the first instance while incur losses in the latter. The Madhyam king on the other hand, who is devoid of all good qualities usually spends his energy on useless undertaking and finally withdraws without any proper return. Similar is the case with the neutral king in similar circumstances. Whenever the king finds himself closer in achieving the end then he is free to employ any kind of army at his disposal.
Thus, Attitude of an Assailable Enemy mainly intends to highlight the types of behaviours which are usually found between the conqueror and the enemy who shall enter into an agreement in case of restoring peace. It is suggested that any of the king whether of inferior, superior or equal status will have the best of the profit and shares of life by entering into agreements and such agreement shall decide the policy of war and peace.
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