8/20/2014 Origin of Secret Agencies in Ancient India | Great Game India

http://greatgameindia.com/origin-of-secret-agencies-in-ancient-india/ 1/14

Origin of Secret Agencies in Ancient India

GreatGameIndia / May 17, 2014

Espionage, euphemistically called the second oldest profession of the world finds a mention inthe Indian Vedas, one of the most ancient of the human texts. References to espionage are alsodiscernible in the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Babylon, Assyria, Greece and China. TheChinese sage Sun Tzu is considered by European scholars to be the first to study and analyzethe whole question of espionage on scientific lines, and to set it down in a text book Ping Fa,The Art of War. This view is, however, not substantiated by cogent facts since there is ampleproof of the greater antiquity and soundness of the system of Secret Services enunciated by theearly Indians.

Varuna, one of the chief gods of the Vedic pantheon is considered to be a forerunner ofSecret Services. Magha, one of the most erudite and lucid poets and pragmatic thinkers,unequivocally asserted that statecraft cannot exist without the assistance of espionage. He writes:

Home About Current Analysis Rediscovering India History �ह�द�

8/20/2014 Origin of Secret Agencies in Ancient India | Great Game India

http://greatgameindia.com/origin-of-secret-agencies-in-ancient-india/ 2/14

The God Varuna on his mount makara, 1675-1700 Painted in: India,Rajasthan, Bundi placed in LACMA museum

‘The statecraft in which even a single step is not taken in contravention of the science of

dandaniti {(i.e. the law of danda (the rod)} which provides decent living (to the officers) and

in which liberal grants are given in recognition of services rendered, does not shine to

advantage without (the employment of ) spies, just as the science of grammar does not shine

without Papasa Bhasya (the introductory portion of Patanjali’s Mahabhasya), though it is

provided with Nyasa (a commentary of that name) which strictly follows the words of the

Sutras (of Panini), a good vrtti (explanatory work) and an excellent Bhasya (advance work

of explanation, discussion and criticism)’.

- (Sisupala – Vadha, 2.112)

Eyes of the King

Secret Agencies in ancient India were not conceived of as an instrument of oppression but as

a tool of governance. Secret agents were considered as ‘eyes of the king’.

Indian history illustrates that ancient Indians had gained great expertise in this secret art. The techniques and operational methodsadopted by them were highly advanced, and can be usefully emulated today. From the spasas of Varuna, the fore-runners of themodern globe-trotting spies (the etymological affinity of the two terms is noticeable) to Chanakya’s final manifestation of this art in

Reliance OnlineTerm

reliancelife.com

8/20/2014 Origin of Secret Agencies in Ancient India | Great Game India

http://greatgameindia.com/origin-of-secret-agencies-in-ancient-india/ 3/14

Brahma – The Creator of the World

the Arthasastra which is in fact a systematic codification of a wide variety of scattered information copiously found in the Epics, – theMahabharata and the Ramayana – the Puranas and literary works of Bhasa, Kalidasa, Magha and Bana; and the Tamil Sangamliterature, transcends unprecedented heights in this discipline.

The vision of the Arthashastra, is truly breath taking, its practical utility timeless and the clarity of its exposition unique. Thetechniques of manipulating public opinion and creating disinformation, propounded by Chanakya anticipated modern intelligencesystems by several centuries. No wonder then that the nearly 2500 years old lessons taught by that Master strategist, Chanakyaalias Kautilya was adopted in toto by India and its chief Intelligence Agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).

While laying the foundation stone of RAW, India’s late Prime Minister Mrs. Indira Gandhi approvingly quoted Louis F Hallis, when shesaid that its objectives should be the ‘Ability to get what one wants by whatever means: eloquence, reasoned arguments,bluff, tirade, threat or coercion, as well as, by arousing pity, annoying others, or making them uneasy’.

Origin of Secret Agencies in Ancient IndiaThe origin and development of Secret Agencies in ancient India is linked to the geopolitical conditions of the times when India wasdotted with small states attempting to grab each other’s territory and wealth. The art of espionage was thoroughly mastered, andalmost all ancient Indian literary sources exhaustively dealt with this system. Spying came to be regarded as an indispensablefeature and integral part of an efficient administration and of a sound foreign policy. It kept the rulers posted with theactivities, afflictions, and operations of political adversaries: their disloyal and disgruntled elements, fifth columnists and foreignagents in their midst, also the strength and intentions of all foreign power. Espionage was considered to be as important aninstitution as diplomacy, and was sought to be governed by certain definite rules and usages. In Chanakya, the secret servicedepartment became a permanent feature of the state and was organized in the most ‘uninhibited manner’.

While Chanakya presents a highly developed and complicated system ofgovernance including an all-pervasive espionage system, references to it are foundin pre-Mauryan literature, too. The Mahabharata refers to a mythological tradition onthe origin of the dandaniti and the art of espionage, which was handed down fromthe past. It expounds ‘Brahma, the creator, himself composed a work comprising1,00,000 chapters relating to dharma (religion), artha (economy), kama (sexualdesire) and moksa (spiritual salvation) – the four aspects of life.’ Brahma’scompilation, according to the Great Epic, included subjects of behaviour towardscounsellors, of spies, the indication of princes, of secret agents possessed ofdiverse means, of envoys, and agents of other kinds, conciliation, fomenting discord,gifts and chastisement; deliberations including counsels for producing disunion; thethree kinds of victory, first, that which served righteously, secondly, which was wonby wealth, and, thirdly, the one obtained by deceitful ways; chastisement of twokinds, namely, open and secret; the disorder created in the hostile troops; inspiringthe enemy with fear; the means of winning over persons residing in the enemyterritory; and finally, the chastisement and destruction of those that are strong.’

No other civilization can claim such an antiquity for the techniques of war,diplomacy, intrigue and espionage and on such compulsive terms.

In short, Varuna and other deities of the Vedic pantheon heavily depended on theirsecret agents. Manu, Kamandaka, Yajnavalkya and Chanakya, besides the laterdigest writers, deliberated on the art of espionage, while Chanakya perfected the artand recommended the organisation of secret agencies in the most unabashedmanner. Professor Ghoshal suggests that the Mauryas followed the Arthasastratradition in four respects, i.e. precautions in recruiting spies, countrywide espionage,

safeguards against false reports by secret agents and enlistment of the services of loose women.

8/20/2014 Origin of Secret Agencies in Ancient India | Great Game India

http://greatgameindia.com/origin-of-secret-agencies-in-ancient-india/ 4/14

Organization of Secret Agencies in Ancient IndiaThe modest origin of secret agents in the form of Varuna’s spasas brought about the imperative need for effective and vigorousespionage in an institutionalized form. The blue-print on espionage prepared by Chanakya has remained a model for successivegenerations. Various aspects of the organization of a secret agency as discussed in complete detail in the Arthasastra are briefly

touched upon here.

Category of Agents

The Arthasastra mentions two wings of ‘secret service’, viz. ‘samstha‘ and ‘sancara‘. The agents belonging to ‘samstha’ werestationed in the Establishment financed by the State, whereas the ‘sancaras’ moved from place to place depending on professionalrequirements. The spymasters of the two wings headed their respective cadre of agents, and controlled their operations. Themembers of one group were not aware of the existence of the other. This classification of Chanakya has been followed in Indiathroughout the successive centuries.

Recruitment of Secret Agents

A study of Arthasastra, the Mahabharata, the Ramayana, the Manusmriti, Kamandaka and Sukra reveals that there was no fixedsource of recruitment of secret agents. Modern intelligence services generally resort to three main sources of recruitment, theacademic world, the armed services and the under-world. This was also the pattern followed in ancient India.

Training

After recruitment, the secret agents were put through a rigorous training in the techniques of adopting disguises, changingappearances, science of signalling, secret writing, detection and identification of criminals, manipulating public opinion and creatingdissensions in the enemy ranks.

Control and Supervision

The complicated, comprehensive, all-pervasive and ubiquitous institution of spies in ancient India necessitated very close andpersonal supervision of the ruler or his most reliable officers. It must have been difficult for the king to personally handle thecomprehensive and complicated department of intelligence. According to the Arthasastra, the department of external affairs, whichwas covering military intelligence, was managed by the king with the help of his foreign minister and the Commander-in-Chief. Theagents detailed to cover the senior officers of the central government certainly reported to the king directly. In the far-flung areas ofextensive kingdoms and in view of poor means of communication, the action especially in times of war had to be taken by men onthe spot and not by the king who may be at a place far distant from the field of action. In foreign countries the spies were kept underthe control and supervision of ambassadors who scrutinized their reports and directed intelligence operations. According toChanakya, the institution of spies as an organization did not function under a unified command. The spies and secret agents workedunder their respective heads of department, and also directly under the king.

Techniques of EspionageBriefly examined below are some of the techniques of espionage employed by the ancient secret agencies of India.

8/20/2014 Origin of Secret Agencies in Ancient India | Great Game India

http://greatgameindia.com/origin-of-secret-agencies-in-ancient-india/ 5/14

Motivation and Recruitment of Sources

Motivation of persons to cater intelligence is directly proportionate to their weakness for sex and money, besides the burning desireof revenge or insatiable hunger for power. The Spymasters of ancient India exploited these weaknesses to their fullest advantage,and even the modern intelligence agencies heavily depend on these considerations. Chanakya advocated that the weak should besubjugated by means of conciliation and gifts, the strong by means of dissension and force.

Selection and Infiltration of Targets

Chanakya, in a very subtle manner and with an intimate knowledge of human psychology, selected his targets in foreign landsdepending on their weaknesses and motivation. He advised secret agents to concentrate on targets:-

Among those who are dissatisfied with the rulers or had been humiliated or exiled;Who have not been compensated for their expenditure;Those who have been deprived of their rightful inheritance to office;Whose women have been molested by force;Who were wrongly imprisoned;Whose property had been confiscated;Who are prone to blackmail due to some weakness.

Double-Agent Operation

A ‘Double-Agent’ is a spy who works for the opposition while pretending loyalty to those who employ him. This technique is anindispensable facet of agent-running and was extensively practiced in ancient India. Chanakya suggested that secret agents shouldnot refuse pay from the targets for working with them as their employees. This was to allay the misgivings on the part of the targets.‘Double-Agents’ were used for creating dissensions and confusion among the confederates of the enemy. They floated falsedocuments, got them seized from the possession of the enemy’s army chiefs, and thus weakened the enemy. ‘Double-Agents’ wereused to winning over the confidence of their adopted masters by sacrificing a few exposed, treacherous, disaffected or inefficientspies.

Payment of Sources

Encouragement of secret agents with money and honour was considered an imperative necessity. The sources were paid both incash and kind, besides receiving extraordinary courtesies and favours. It was also recommended that secret agents not only berewarded for the job done by them but, also, in the event of repeated mistakes, silent punishment-death-be awarded to them.

Communication of Intelligence

Intelligence not properly and promptly conveyed and which cannot be acted upon loses its value and validity. Besides this, theArthasastra, Mahabharata, Ramayana, Kamandaka and Kathasaritasagara all recommend the use of coded language and signals.

Interception of Mail

Interception of messages, signals and letters by postal censorship; monitoring and tapping telephones; and breaking codes is thestandard practice of modern intelligence agencies. In the ancient period, since intelligence was communicated through pre-determined signals and with the assistance of pigeons, secret agents must have made elaborate arrangements to intercept thesemessages.

As recently in 2012 a retired probation officer in England cleaning out his chimney was startled to sweep up a 70-year-old secretamid the soot: the skeleton of a World War II carrier pigeon with a coded message still attached to its leg.

8/20/2014 Origin of Secret Agencies in Ancient India | Great Game India

http://greatgameindia.com/origin-of-secret-agencies-in-ancient-india/ 6/14

Carrier pigeons have been used since ancient times to relay messages from behind enemy lines and the capsule Martin found wasthe kind British troops used during World War II. Back then, according to the BBC, messenger pigeons went along on nearly everyRoyal Air Force mission. More than 250,000 pigeons were deployed by the British during the war, often accompanying bombercrews as a “feathered forerunner of the black box.”

This particular message was written by a Sergeant W. Stott, who was probably an airman. It contains 27 codes that each contain acombination of five numbers and letters. The message was destined for “X02,” which was the classified designation for Britain’sBomber Command in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire.

Assessment of Information

The Arthasastra cautions against the placing of reliance on agents without proper corroboration. It is repeatedly emphasized that allaspects of a report must be gone through, including the source of information, the mode of its collection and the past performance ofa source before it is accepted. Briefing and debriefing of secret agents was an elaborate exercise, and they were trained to beprecise, accurate and truthful in reporting.

Working Under ‘Cover’

The institution of espionage in ancient India, like modern times, required secret agents to work under some kind of ‘cover’ topreserve secrecy. Chanakya institutionalized the art of working under the most ingenious ‘covers’. The most common disguisesrecommended by him were those of ascetic, mendicant, merchant, artisan, wandering minstrel, artiste, cook, barber and shampooer,bath and toilet attendant, deaf, dumb, eunuch and prostitute. Chanakya recommends the use of women as effective tools ofespionage particularly those who were engaged in harlotry.

This technique was utilized by Captain

Thomas George Montgomerie of the Royal

Geographical Society sending native Indian

explorers trained in secret surveying

techniques and disguised as holy-men,

pilgrims or Himalayan traders to carry out

clandestine survey and mapping of the

entire Himalayas.

For more on this read The Holy Spies & Clandestine Mapping of the Himalayas.

8/20/2014 Origin of Secret Agencies in Ancient India | Great Game India

http://greatgameindia.com/origin-of-secret-agencies-in-ancient-india/ 7/14

Counter-Intelligence

A counter-intelligence operation is directed at discovering the identities and methods of foreign spies and intelligence officers workingfor the opposition. One of the most important duties of the Secret Service in ancient India was to counteract the activities of suchagents operating within the country. Chanakya recommends that secret agents should discover foreign spies by operating at theplaces of entertainment, conclaves of people, among beggars, in gardens and public places, and the houses of prominent citizens.

For the most recent example of Counter-

Intelligence read the detailed article Operation

Snoopgate – Saheb Under Siege ?

Disinformation and Dissension

Manipulation of public opinion is as important an object of the State today as it was in ancientIndia. It is used to create disharmony and distrust among the enemy’s friends, ill-will among hisallies, loss of confidence in their leadership and disruption by psychological means his capacityand will to fight. Chanakya had perfected the technique of disinformation and highly eulogisedthe use of dissension in enemy’s ranks for winning a battle without any military action. Hiswinning an extensive empire for his student Chandragupta Maurya without fighting anymentionable battle is awe, and one may be excused to add: admiration, inspiring feat,unparalleled in history. The Sanskrit Classical drama Mudrakshasa has tried to depict itdramatically but, at best, has only partially succeeded.

Mudrarakshasa (“The Signet of the Minister”) is a historical play in Sanskrit byVishakhadatta that narrates the ascent of the king Chandragupta Maurya to power in

India.

Sabotage

The technique of sabotage, which the political strategists consider as the penultimate means to vanquish an adversary, had beengreatly perfected in ancient India. Secret practices for sabotage were advocated by Chanakya to ensure victory. As a preface tosabotage, he suggests the creation of an atmosphere congenial to arousing terror, fear, demoralization, disappointment and loss ofconfidence among the enemy ranks. Prior to launching a full-scale assault on the enemy fort, Chanakya suggests implementation ofsecret measures to weaken its defenses not only physically but in all respects. These include prevention of sowing the fields,destruction of the standing crops and cutting of the enemy’s supply lines.

He also advises free and uninhibited use of poison in the articles used by the enemy. His detailed and scientifically validknowledge of the subject has earned for him a place in Arabic medical literature, that knows him as Ibn Shanaq (son ofChanak). Some of the secret stratagems advocated by Chanakya include the use of smoke with properties seriously affecting thevision, and, arson or setting fires within the enemy fort.

8/20/2014 Origin of Secret Agencies in Ancient India | Great Game India

http://greatgameindia.com/origin-of-secret-agencies-in-ancient-india/ 8/14

The employment of Visakanyas (Poison-damsels)

Secret Agencies in ancient India had perfected very ingenious techniques to subserve the interests of their monarchs. Besides usingthe nascent technological advancement available to them, they exploited human weakness for sex to achieve royal objectives.Visakanya is a unique feature of the Indian genius to poison the monarch. These venomous beauties can be classified, as follows:-

A damsel whose body is saturated with gradual doses of poison, and who is likely to transmit poison from her body to anotherperson coming in contact with her;A woman who treacherously captivates the heart of a person, and then mixes poison in his food or drink;A girl who is, one way or the other, so much poisoned or infected with disease that she is likely to convey her poison ordisease to the person coming in contact with her. A woman suffering from Venereal disease or, in the latest situation onesuffering from Aids is a Visakanya of this kind.

For an example of this technique read Sex for Secrets : RAW Agent Honey-trapped by CIA before Rajiv Gandhi Assassination

This article is written by S M Hali a former Group Captain of Pakistan Air Force (PAF), who

also served as Air and Naval Attaché at Riyadh. Currently, he is a columnist, analyst and a

television show host; with inputs from GreatGameIndia.

Share this:

Facebook 144 Twitter 7 Google Email Print Reddit LinkedIn 1 Pocket StumbleUpon

Pinterest Tumblr

Like this:

Like

Be the first to like this.

Related

8/20/2014 Origin of Secret Agencies in Ancient India | Great Game India

http://greatgameindia.com/origin-of-secret-agencies-in-ancient-india/ 9/14

What lies inside the Secret State Archives ?

Guru Granth Sahib – Oldest Rare Manuscript

The Ayurvedic Anatomical Man & His Sanskrit Context – Rare Manuscript Painting

← Operation Snoopgate : Saheb Under Siege ? The Kingmakers – Baker Street Spies & Indian Elections →

May 17, 2014 in Rediscovering India. Tags: Agencies, Ancient, Arthashastra, Brahma, Chanakya, Chandragupta, Dandniti, Espionage, GreatGameIndia,India, Kautilya, Maurya, Mudrarakshasa, Secret, Spies, Statecraft, Sun Tzu, Varuna

Related posts

Leave a Reply

Enter your comment here...

Search …

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address tosubscribe to this blog and receivenotifications of new posts by email.

Email Address

Subscribe

The Holy Spies & Clandestine Mapping ofthe HimalayasIn "History"

Sex for Secrets : RAW Agent Honey-trapped by CIA before Rajiv GandhiAssassinationIn "History"

Chinese Military Sabotage India’s StateOwned Telco BSNL’s Base StationIn "Current Analysis"

8/20/2014 Origin of Secret Agencies in Ancient India | Great Game India

http://greatgameindia.com/origin-of-secret-agencies-in-ancient-india/ 10/14

8/20/2014 Origin of Secret Agencies in Ancient India | Great Game India

http://greatgameindia.com/origin-of-secret-agencies-in-ancient-india/ 11/14

Great Game India

400 people like Great Game India.

Facebook social plugin

Like

Bodhita | News & Analysis

Follow me on Twitter

East India Company & Indian

Education In The 21st Century

wp.me/p4s7Yf-r8

Great Game India

@GreatGameIndia

#Americans Capable Of

#Assassinating Our Leadership ?

tiny.cc/qcn6jx @Vidyut

@AnilThakurK @digvijaya_28

pic.twitter.com/6HOThcqOxb

Great Game India

@GreatGameIndia

15 Aug

9 Aug

Tweets Follow

8/20/2014 Origin of Secret Agencies in Ancient India | Great Game India

http://greatgameindia.com/origin-of-secret-agencies-in-ancient-india/ 12/14

Expand

Secret Indian Military Bases

Revealed By #GoogleMaps

tiny.cc/grc4jx @Vidyut

@AmareshMisraFC @AnilThakurK

pic.twitter.com/hB3p27ZtDw

Great Game India

@GreatGameIndia

Expand

#26/11 #MumbaiAttack Public

Prosecutor #UjjwalNikam Under

Scanner tiny.cc/5vy0jx

@AmareshMisraFC @Vidyut

pic.twitter.com/ToMcVq2Qnf

Great Game India

@GreatGameIndia

Expand

India US Puppet Show On

#WTODeal tiny.cc/ntwwjx

pic.twitter.com/dIW89jSq1V

Great Game India

@GreatGameIndia

Unlocking The Full Potential Of The

US-India Relationship tiny.cc/qicvjx

@Vidyut

pic.twitter.com/CXbDroqBm2

Great Game India

@GreatGameIndia

Not Just @nitin_gadkari, All Parties

Bugged By CIA tiny.cc/3aypjx

@Vidyut @digvijaya_28

@rahulkanwal

pic.twitter.com/a1l2R1GTOF

Great Game India

@GreatGameIndia

5 Aug

5 Aug

2 Aug

31 Jul

29 Jul

8/20/2014 Origin of Secret Agencies in Ancient India | Great Game India

http://greatgameindia.com/origin-of-secret-agencies-in-ancient-india/ 13/14

Expand

#26/11 #MumbaiAttacks complicit

Israeli #DiamondMafia funding

#GazaUnderAttack

wp.me/p4s7Yf-p9

pic.twitter.com/AaQCeUyiYB

Great Game India

@GreatGameIndia

Expand

#IndiaWithIsraeli Propaganda in

India over #Gaza Conflict

tiny.cc/fqndjx

pic.twitter.com/xHjKqxEAXY

Great Game India

@GreatGameIndia

Russian Ministry of Defence

provides proof of #MH17 Crash

exposes #Ukraine Military

tiny.cc/khzdjx

pic.twitter.com/c0KioY9Bti

Great Game India

@GreatGameIndia

24 Jul

22 Jul

22 Jul

Tweet to @GreatGameIndia

Top Posts & Pages

The Rothschild IlluminatiColonization of India

East India Company & IndianEducation In The 21st Century

MH17 Chameleon: OperationRapid Trident II

26/11 Mumbai Attacks ComplicitIsraeli Diamond Mafia FundingGaza Conflict

8/20/2014 Origin of Secret Agencies in Ancient India | Great Game India

http://greatgameindia.com/origin-of-secret-agencies-in-ancient-india/ 14/14

Mossad & The Assassination ofRajiv Gandhi & it’s Global StrategicImpact

Sex for Secrets : RAW AgentHoney-trapped by CIA beforeRajiv Gandhi Assassination

Mechanics of Narendra Modi’s PRagency : APCO Worldwide –Orchestrating our Future

कैस ेइल�ुमनाट� रो��चाइ�ड न ेब�क� केमा�यम स ेभारत पर क�जा �कया

THE MASONIC THEORY OF THEORIGINS OF LIFE – The hiddenlink between Darwin, Marx,Neitzche & Hitler

MH370 to 911 – ElectronicWarfare

About Us Privacy Policy Contact Us