Analysing Mahabharata through the Lens of Theory of Just War

Abstract

Of the world filled with the recorded history of western wars, Mahabharata is one of the prominent just war fought in the Indian history. It satisfies the principles of the theory of just war, namely, jus ad bellum and jus in bello. Jus ad bellum applies to the episodes of Mahabharata prior to the 18 days’ war- Kurukshetra. Notably, Kurukshetra known as the “dharma yuddha-the battle for just,” satisfies the principles of jus in bellus. However, the modern relevance of the theory is analysed with the case of Kosovo war. The intentions behind NATO’s intervention resembles the principles of jus ad bellum. While the element of jus in bello is witnessed amidst the Operation Allied Force. Apparently, this paper examines the above cases through the factor of just and not based on the stands of parties involved. It attempts to compare and assess the convergences Kurukshetra of Mahabharata and Kosovo war through the lens of principles of theory of just war.