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Narrative Review | Psychology and Organizational Management | Volume 15 Issue 2, February 2026 | Pages: 1276 - 1281 | India
Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Military Leadership: Sangam Martial Ideals and Sun Tzu's Strategic Doctrine
Abstract: Ancient civilizations produced sophisticated reflections on warfare, leadership, and statecraft that continue to inform contemporary strategic thought. This paper examines the evolution of military philosophy in South India through Sangam literature (c. 300 BCE-300 CE) and the Thirukkural (c. 1st century BCE-5th century CE), and compares it with classical Chinese strategic thought articulated in The Art of War by Sun Tzu (c. 5th century BCE). While Sangam texts present warfare as culturally embedded, valorized, and ethically regulated, the Thirukkural advances a normative framework in which justice and prudence form the foundation of legitimate military action. In contrast, Sun Tzu systematizes warfare as a rational enterprise grounded in deception, intelligence, and strategic adaptability. Through historical and conceptual analysis, this paper identifies two distinct yet complementary paradigms: an ethical-integrative model of warfare in the South Indian tradition and a strategic-analytical model in the Chinese tradition. The study further situates these traditions within contemporary military leadership discourse, arguing that effective modern command requires a synthesis of moral legitimacy and operational agility.
Keywords: Sangam literature, Thirukkural, Sun Tzu, art of war, military leadership, ethical statecraft, strategic realism, comparative military philosophy
How to Cite?: Hemarajarajeswari J, "Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Military Leadership: Sangam Martial Ideals and Sun Tzu's Strategic Doctrine", Volume 15 Issue 2, February 2026, International Journal of Science and Research (IJSR), Pages: 1276-1281, https://www.ijsr.net/getabstract.php?paperid=SR26222083005, DOI: https://dx.dx.doi.org/10.21275/SR26222083005