DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY

RAMJAS COLLEGE

CONCEPT NOTE
PAPER PRESENTATION

WAR THROUGH
THE CENTURIES -
An interplay of multiple phenomena :
Understanding Aggression, Strategy, Technology,
Economy , Geography and Cultural Values

This conference aims to understand war as an aggressive

competition (of a degree high enough) to lead an armed
confrontation or conflict that impacts demography, polity,
economy or the geography of the regions involved.

A war always represents a display of power and domination

or hegemony in the modern times, of the stronger over the
weaker. The rationale of fighting wars and epitomizing
political domination of one power over another, has been
rooted in multifaceted (economic, material) interests. With
time, the complexity of economic demands and the nature of
political domination may change, with the transition from
pre-modern to modern times, from monarchy to a modern
nation-state, from feudal-agrarian to industrial capitalist and
imperialist interests. The complex interplay of material
economic interests with political strategy remains the
foundational bedrock of how the nature of warfare
intrinsically evolves over time.
The two world wars, despite being European in its origin, eventually encapsulated
the entire world in the garb of colonialism and witnessed the display of multifarious
war strategies, manufacture of technocratic arms and ammunitions and resultant
military alliances and combinations across the globe. However, the essence of war
also lies in its consequences. Post war, its impact- political, economic and most
importantly human- psychological is enormous and needs to be engaged with.
Wars often cause forced displacement of population from the vanquished areas
resulting in a surge in refugee population, across the globe. Population migrations, in
connection with wars, apart from the obvious gruesome consequences, also result in
processes of cultural exchange that allows cultures, tastes and practices to travel
across boundaries and combine with other cultural forms to produce eclectic
versions.
Yet from Kadesh to Kuwait, the essence of war remains the same; people are still
dying. Understanding of war cannot be restricted to a mere clashing of opposing
armies on a battlefield; rather, it is a dynamic interplay of complex logistics involved
which has historically evolved over a period of time. When in the Sapta-Sindhu
region where the famous Dāśarājñá yuddhá was fought, we witnessed how
geography can be weaponized as a vehement tactic or when in Three kingdoms
period of China how Huang Gai flexibly deployed subterfuge to eliminate Cao Cao
from the battle scene during the Battle of Red Cliff. As we move forward in time, the
annals of history recorded how the banners of Lodi was trampled on the battlefield of
Panipat and that of Mughals got unfolded in its stead with the swift maneuver of
cavalry, precision of muskets and roar of canons reflecting the role of developing
technology in warfare as a tool in medieval times.
Enlarging the ambit of the study and moving towards the continent of
Africa along the trends of new school of history considering the loss of
African historical evidences, it has to be duly noted that a plethora of war
tactics ranging from ancient to modern period including the decolonisation
struggle, use of animals and mechanisms are profoundly visible in many
diverse African tribal communities which were engaged in warfare such
as the use of cattle as shields by the Bantu tribe(s) against the Boer
expansion.

A new perception of war tactics was framed with the The First world war
as it acted as a watershed event from the ruins of broken treaties and failed
promises, giving birth to new diplomacies changing the mainstream
perception of war as it marked the end of the concert of Europe and the
carefully constructed alliances that came with it forever plunging the world
into the never before felt dread engineering the new machinery of
diplomacy.

From the ashes of Hiroshima, when the contemporary world witnessed

bipolarity in the cold war; India’s diplomacy became a masterstroke of
balance, championing non-alignment to navigate rivalries between
superpowers while asserting its voice on the global stage. When the
soviet navy dispatched its fleet in the Indian ocean against the aggressive
seventh fleet, showcasing the use of minds over missiles by India, securing
its strategic interests.
The history of warfare spans millennia; reflecting the use of diverse
geography, cultural ethos and strategic innovations.

From ancient epics like Mahabharata which depict complex military

strategies to the establishment of modern armed forces, States’ approach
to warfare has evolved profusely.

The respective conference explicitly aims to analyze war tactics,

techniques and strategies from antiquity to modernity and also their
relevance to contemporary military practices.
 SUB THEMES
1. The evolution of military strategies and tactics from early to
contemporary times, and emerging trends and possibilities
related to them.
2. Offensive and Defensive tactics in siege warfare with
respect to architectural advancements.
3. Gender as a dynamic nuance in the avenue of war tactics
4. The ever-evolving nuances of psychology in war tactics
5. Geography as a catalyst in determining the fate of battles.
6. The cultural beliefs and practices in shaping the ambit of
war tactics.
7. The influence of international and domestic relations, on
the weapons and methods of war addressing the
geopolitical developments of that respective time.
8. The contribution of ever evolving technological
advancements in weaponry.
9. Various means of warfare practiced by diverse tribal
communities.
10. Assessment of early , medieval and colonial war tactics
and their influence on present day war doctrines.
 GUIDELINES
1. The paper presentation competition is an offline event open to all undergraduate
disciplines, and each entry can have up to three co-authors, as long as they all meet
the criteria.

2. The abstract must be 300-400 words with 5-6 keywords, and the final presentation
(PPT format preferred) will be sourced from the submitted research paper.

3. The research paper should be of 4000-5000 words, excluding footnotes and

bibliography, and must follow the Chicago Citation Format (Guide).

4. The submission must be original, and strict plagiarism and AI detection will be
conducted; any violation will lead to disqualification.

5. Only selected abstracts will require a full paper submission and presentation
preparation.

6. Participants will have 15 minutes to present, including Q&A, and technical

assistance during PPT presentation will be provided by the Department of History,
Ramjas College.

7. The abstract and paper must include author(s) name(s), year of study, course,
institutional affiliation, email ID, and contact number.

TIMELINE
Deadline for the submission of
abstract: 5th of February
Deadline for the submission of full-
length papers: 21st of February
Annoucement of Shortlisted
Participants: 24th of February
Day of Presentation: 27th of February
 HELPDESK

The students sending in

the abstracts can contact
the following people:

Divy Tiwari- 9352933025

Vartika- 7667518461
Jigyashu- 78274 31715
Nareshwar- 6269436138

The abstracts can be sent via email to

ramjashistorysociety.council@gmail.com