India’s role in distorting Pakistan’s national perception during the War on Terror: The psychological insights from the Rajamandala theory

Abstract

Geopolitics is a key concept in international relations used to understand how geography shapes national politics and interstate relations. Coined by Rudolf Kjellén (1917), geopolitics views the state as a living territorial organism influenced not only by legal structures but also by geography, economy, culture, and human power. Building on this idea, Kaplan (2012) argues that geography fundamentally influences foreign policy, national power, and strategic behaviour, as physical features such as mountains and plains shape security and vulnerability. This geographical determinism is also reflected in Kautilya’s Rajamandala theory, which conceptualizes international politics as interest-based rather than idealistic. In this framework, the central state (Vijigishu) is surrounded by concentric circles of states, with the immediate neighbour (Ari) viewed as a natural enemy, justifying policies of war, strategic alliances, and dual tactics. Applying this model to India–Pakistan relations, Pakistan, as India’s immediate neighbour, fits the role of Ari in India’s geopolitical outlook. Historical evidence shows India’s consistent use of direct and indirect strategies against Pakistan, including psychological and informational warfare. India’s involvement in the 1971 crisis through Mukti Bahini support, its media strategy during the 1999 Kargil conflict, and its narrative manipulation during the post-2000 Global War on Terror demonstrate a sustained foreign policy approach aimed at weakening Pakistan’s international standing.