“I, against my brothers. I and my brothers against my cousins. I and my brothers and my cousins against the world.” Arab Bedouin proverb The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran has put Gulf countries in a bind. U.S. and its regional ally Israel started the war without any consultation with the Gulf countries and Iran is…
“More than in any other endeavor, things in war often do not unfold as anticipated.”Carl von Clausewitz Historically big powers usually overextend and squander resources in peripheral regions at the cost of ignoring core issues at home. The American war on Iran is the latest example of this pattern. The allure of overwhelming military power…
In early nineteenth century, several contenders of the Afghan throne engaged in a fratricidal war. In 1839, Shah Shuja (r 1803-09 & 1839-42) was living in Ludhiana on British pension when a trilateral agreement was reached involving East India Company, Shah Shuja, and Singh Sahib of Lahore Ranjit Singh. Shah Shuja was restored to the…
In 1960, General Muhammad Musa visited India on the invitation of the Indian army chief General K. S. ‘Timmy’ Thimayya. This group photograph was taken when former comrades of 6th Royal Battalion of 13th Frontier Force Rifles (6/13 FFR) got together in Delhi. The battalion had many titles over time. After the British conquest of…
Indian and Pakistani armies share a common history but the memory of that shared bond has faded away. Soldiers of British Indian army belonged to different religions and ethnicities, but all were proud to serve the profession of arms. They fought side by side as comrades all over the world and never imagined future hostilities…
John Masters (26 October 1914 – 07 May 1983) was a British army officer and a famous author. His novels dealt with life in British India. John’s own background fully qualified him for the task while his family had long association with India going back to 1805 when his great-great grandfather came to India with…
In 1849 the British East India Company (EIC) acquired Punjab and Pushtun lands across the Indus after defeating the Sikh dynasty of late Maharaja Ranjit Singh. Pathan tribesmen straddling key passes agreed to safeguard their territory in return for fixed payment. Adam Khel Afridi tribesmen inhabiting hills between Peshawar and Kohat kept that pass open…
“War is the great auditor of institutions”. Correlli Barnett Every armed conflict brings new dynamics to bilateral relations between the belligerents and has an impact on domestic politics. Each party’s role also has an impact on regional and international relations. In April-May 2025, India and Pakistan were engaged in another limited conflict that was quickly…
We cannot ignore the networks where there is an ideological battle going on – Miguel Diaz-Canel In the last decade, networks have repeatedly surprised hierarchies of nation states. Groups designated as terrorists by the international community have shown resiliency against powerful states. Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon and Houthis in Yemen engaged with the…
The recent standoff between India and Pakistan has become a familiar script where every few years both countries reach this crossroad and after a few days of saber rattling and flurry of international diplomatic activity they pull back. The conflict began on April 23, 2025, following a terrorist attack in the Pahalgam valley of Indian…
