India has fought five wars since Independence, four with Pakistan in 1947- 48, 1965, 1971, and 1999, and one with China in 1962. The Kargil War or Operation Vijay was fought in 1999. In 1998, both India and Pakistan became nuclear power, and this escalated the security concerns of both the countries. Taking initiative, the Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee visited Lahore in February 1999 for peaceful resolution of all pending issues. Pakistan apparently reciprocated but it later turned out to be a ruse.

The history of mankind is replete with devastating wars since the beginning of civilisation. The Indian history also witnessed many wars. The earliest wars in India appear to have been fought by the people of the Indus Valley civilisation. Their expertise in building forts to defend themselves confirms this theory. Subsequently, the Aryans waged wars against the natives of the land (p. 18). The battles depicted in the epics of Ramayana and Mahabharata further provide valuable information about the warfare mechanism of the ancient period.