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    <Journal>
      <PublisherName>ejsss</PublisherName>
      <JournalTitle>ELECTRONIC JOURNAL OF SOCIAL AND STRATEGIC STUDIES</JournalTitle>
      <PISSN/>
      <EISSN/>
      <Volume-Issue>Volume 7 Special Issue 1</Volume-Issue>
      <PartNumber/>
      <IssueTopic>Multidisciplinary</IssueTopic>
      <IssueLanguage>English</IssueLanguage>
      <Season>July 2026</Season>
      <SpecialIssue>N</SpecialIssue>
      <SupplementaryIssue>N</SupplementaryIssue>
      <IssueOA>Y</IssueOA>
      <PubDate>
        <Year>2026</Year>
        <Month>07</Month>
        <Day>31</Day>
      </PubDate>
      <ArticleType>Strategic Studies</ArticleType>
      <ArticleTitle>Unravellling Military Strategies of the Kurukshetra War</ArticleTitle>
      <SubTitle/>
      <ArticleLanguage>English</ArticleLanguage>
      <ArticleOA>Y</ArticleOA>
      <FirstPage>101</FirstPage>
      <LastPage>130</LastPage>
      <AuthorList>
        <Author>
          <FirstName>Avani Ajey</FirstName>
          <LastName>Dhakras</LastName>
          <AuthorLanguage>English</AuthorLanguage>
          <Affiliation/>
          <CorrespondingAuthor>N</CorrespondingAuthor>
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        </Author>
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      <DOI>10.47362/EJSSS.2026.SP7105 </DOI>
      <Abstract>The study of ancient military history is crucial for a comprehensive understanding of the military character of the nation. These texts have the potential to not only offer timeless strategic principles but can also succour in development of doctrines. This research undertakes the study of the Kurukshetra War, as detailed in the Mahabharata. The battle was fought between the well-organised armies of the Kauravas and Pandavas. Transcending a mere clash of numbers, the Kurukshetra War reflected the progression from Dharma-Yuddha (righteous war) to Kuta-Yuddha (deceptive war) as the stakes for the survival of the clan intensified. Cardinal to the military brilliance of the Kurukshetra War were the Vyuhas __ampersandsignndash; military formations __ampersandsignndash; and the use of targeted asymmetric warfare. These military formations displayed a highly disciplined command and control structure, as each formation required a synchronised movement amongst infantry, cavalry and chariots. The use of these tactics illustrates how complex and multi-layered responses were designed for tackling specific battlefield threats. The war is also marked by the use of unconventional tactics by employing psychological operations to neutralise important targets. The synergy between traditional defensive strength and asymmetric warfare signifies that war has layers. By unravelling the layers of the Kurukshetra War in the context of tactical decoding, strategic evolution and modern relevance, the purpose of this study is to gain a timeless template for understanding war through the lens of the Kurukshetra War as written in the Mahabharata.</Abstract>
      <AbstractLanguage>English</AbstractLanguage>
      <Keywords>Kurukshetra War, Mahabharata, warfare, strategy, tactics, non-kinetic, military</Keywords>
      <URLs>
        <Abstract>https://www.ejsss.net.in/ubijournal-v1copy/journals/abstract.php?article_id=16311&amp;title=Unravellling Military Strategies of the Kurukshetra War</Abstract>
      </URLs>
      <References>
        <ReferencesarticleTitle>References</ReferencesarticleTitle>
        <ReferencesfirstPage>16</ReferencesfirstPage>
        <ReferenceslastPage>19</ReferenceslastPage>
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Sukthankar, V. (2001). The Critical Edition of Mahbharata (Vol. 06). Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute. Retrieved April 2026&#13;
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Tahirov, R., Sadiyev, S., Hasanov, and; Hikmet. (2025, October). Five Basic Military Strategies And Their Modern Implementation. Journal of Defense Resources Management, 25-44. doi:10.64404/JoDRM.2025.2.02&#13;
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Thapliyal, U. P. (2021). Wars and War Tactics. Routledge. Retrieved March 2026, from https://www.idsa.in/system/files/jds/12_17-1-2023-Narender-Yadav.pdf&#13;
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    </Journal>
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