Foreign Visits & Mandala Theory : Why some cry?


"Your neighbor is your natural enemy and the neighbor’s neighbor is your friend”

This theory is for those who think, Prime Minister of the country should not go on other state visit.

This was the basic thought behind Kautilya’s Mandala Theory. And it is the very frist thought that comes to one’s mind when we read the texts of kautilya. Mandala is a Sanskrit word whisch means ‘circles’.

Mandala theory of foreign policy, is based on the geographical assumption that the immediate neighbour state is most likely to be an enemy (real or potential) and a state next to the immediate neighbour is likely to be ones friend, after a friendly state comes an unfriendly state (friend of the enemy state) and next to that a friendly state (friend of a friendly state) and so on i.e., "With respect to the middle king [he himself], the third and the fifth constituents are friendly elements. The second, the fourth, and the sixth are unfriendly elements." However he also recognized the existence of neutral and mediating states. To understand it easily, imagine a series of states to one's west, and then number them starting with oneself. States numbered 1, 3, 5, 7, and so on will likely be friends, whereas states 2, 4, 6, 8, and so on will probably be enemies. (The same thing can be done with con centric circles, which would look more like a mandala, but it is difficult to envision these circles as states.) Kautilya put this basic principle in a number of different ways, but most simply as, "One with immediately proximate territory is the natural enemy."

The Mandala concept is one in which there are circles of friends and foes with the central point being the King and his State. This embraces twelve kings in the vicinity and he considers the kingdoms as neighbors, the states which are the enemies neighbors are his enemies’ friends and the next circle of states are his friends. He also believes that the states which are his neighbors and are also neighbors of his enemies are neutral and should always be treated with respect. He believes that this circle is dynamic and the King should strive to be expanding his central position and reduce the power of the other kings in the vicinity. He also proposes to build alliances with states  which are two degrees away from the center to create a balance of power.

 The mandala, as comprising 12 types of kings/states, it is classified as follows:


1. The would-be conqueror, at the centre of the mandala. (Vijigisha)

2. The enemy whose territory borders on that of the would-be conqueror, i.e., the hostile neighbour.

3. The ally’s whose territory lies immediately beyond that of the hostile neighbour.

4. The enemy’s ally who is the neighbour of one’s won ally.

5. The ally’s ally who is territorially distant. (Vijigishu)

6. The ally of the enemy’s ally who is also territorially distant.

7. The rear of the would-be conqueror, i.e., rearward enemy

8. Rearward friend

9. Friend of the rearward enemy

10. Friend of friend is the rearward friend

11. A neutral king/state neighboring both the would-be conqueror and his/its enemy but is stronger than both.

12. The king is very indifferent towards all other kings/states but is more powerful than the would-be conqueror, his enemy and the neutral king/ state.

In a system of mandala, Kautilya advocated six-fold policy to interact with the neighbours, which included co-existence, neutrality, alliance, double policy, march and war. To achieve this he advised the king to resort to five tactics: conciliation, gift and bribery, dissention, deceit and pretence, open attack or war. As such on the question of treaty and alliance, he suggests: “A King should not hesitate to break any friendship or alliances that are later found to be disadvantageous.”

In the whole spectrum of Mandal, the Vijigishu functions as a sort of balance of power by asserting his own supremacy. It is assumed that the two adjacent states are normally hostile and consequently two states with another intervening between them would be friendly, being common enemies of the latter. The neutral is the strongest power in the neighborhood. The intermediary in intermediate in strength between the neutral and the other powers.


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