Balancing powers using dual policy - dvaidIbhAvikAH sandhivikramAH

It has been over two months from the last post http://sastra-artha.blogspot.in/2015/07/on-treaties-related-to-war.html dealing with treaties related to war.

Probably the seventh chapter of 7th book is one of the most complex dealing with the dvaIdI-bhAva or dual policy.

What is dual policy? - Continue the conflict with one opponent while making an agreement with the other. So, fundamentally there is an offer that need to be made by the vijigIshu or to take a decision to accept/reject an offer made by another in rAja manDalam i.e., the circle of kings.

The dual policy is all about bargaining power (or negotiating power) in the circle of kings. Some offers from weak opponent may need to be accepted and sometimes an offer need to be made towards a weak opponent to have a strategic long term advantage in the circle of kings.

By applying dual policy one should exchange the money power with material power or material power into money. Example: getting access to a suitable location to attack a more powerful opponent by offering slightly higher price to the current owner of that location.

This chapter deals with unequal treaties with opponents or groups of opponent. It also deals with studying such unequal treaties that are happening between other kings in the circle of kings.

There are only 31 statements in this chapter that are arranged into 10 different scenarios based on who is offering, what is the offer, what are the conditions of offer, who is accepting, what are the conditions of acceptance by shri L.N Rangarajan in The Arthasastra (Penguin)

अतो बुद्ध्येत पणितः पणमानस्च कारणम्
ततो वितर्क्योभयतो यतः श्रेयस्ततो व्रजेत्

So, the offers made by opponents need to be analyzed for the intentions behind them along with the offer and its conditions. Value of the offer and the intentions behind such offer need to be carefully analyzed before accepting or rejecting such offers. Having understood the offer, reason the impacts of accepting and rejection thoroughly. Then take what is beneficial in long term.

That is the art of negotiation as per kauTilya in 105th chapter of artha SAstra that is 7th of 7th book.