Hindu Beliefs about Peace and Conflict » Hindu Attitudes to Conflict, Duty and Holy War

Conflict and its problems for society

The lessons Why Conflicts and Wars Happen and Three Conflicts in the World Today explained what conflict is and why it starts. In one line: politics, resources, history, culture and religion can each push groups into conflict. This lesson asks what Hindus teach about it.

Hindus see conflict as harmful to the whole of society. It breaks up families and communities, destroys homes and farms, and leaves people hungry, frightened and grieving. It also damages dharma. In the lesson Dharma and the Four Ashramas you met dharma as the duty that keeps life in order, including truthfulness and non-harm. When people fight, many of them stop living by these. In Avidya and Maya: Why People Go Wrong in Hinduism you met the Kali Yuga, the age of quarrel. Many Hindus see wars as signs of it.

Key terms:

• Holy war (recap from Just War Theory, Holy War and Passive Resistance): a war fought for a religious cause, usually believed to be approved by God.
• Kshatriya: a member of the warrior and ruling class in the traditional Hindu social order, whose duty is to protect others.
• Dharma yuddha: a war fought to uphold dharma and under fair rules.

The Hindu response to the causes of conflict

Many Hindus teach that greed, anger and ignorance in people lie behind conflict, as well as politics and resources. These are the faults you studied in Avidya and Maya. So a Hindu response often begins with changing hearts as well as treaties.

For religion as a cause, many Hindus say that there are many paths to the truth, so no one should force their faith on others.

A key text is Rig Veda 10-191:2. The Rig Veda is the oldest of the four Vedas, scriptures that Hindus believe were heard by ancient sages. This verse is a call to come together, speak together and be of one mind. Hindus use it as a call for people to talk and work in agreement and not to fight.

Holy war

A holy war is fought for religious reasons, for example to defend or spread a faith. The lesson Just War Theory, Holy War and Passive Resistance gave the general idea. What do Hindus say?

Hinduism has no single leader and no single rulebook, so Hindus hold different views. Many say that Hinduism does not teach fighting to spread the faith, and does not aim to convert people by force. They point out that wars in Hindu stories are fought to protect dharma. The best known is the war in the Mahabharata, a long Hindu epic, which is called a dharma yuddha. Such a war has rules, for example that fighters should not attack people who are unarmed. Some Hindus call this a kind of holy war because it serves dharma. Others say it is a different thing, because it is about justice and not about faith.

Teachings about not killing

Ahimsa, non-harm, is a key Hindu teaching, as you saw in Sanctity of Life and Abortion: Hindu Views. The specification names Yajur Veda 12.32.90 for teachings about not killing. Hindus say the Vedas, and the texts that followed them, ask people not to harm living things. Since every living being has an atman, killing is a serious wrong. For this reason many Hindus avoid violence and some are vegetarian.

When fighting is a duty

Hindus also teach that each person has duties set by their dharma. Traditionally the kshatriya has the duty to protect the weak and keep order. The specification names Rig Veda 1-39:2 for when fighting is a person's duty. Many Hindus read teaching of this kind to mean that a warrior who fights fairly to protect others is doing their duty and not a wrong.

So Hindu teaching holds two ideas together: do not harm, and do your duty. Many Hindus say fighting is allowed only as a last resort, after talking has failed. Others, who follow ahimsa more strictly, say violence is never the answer. The next lesson, Just War and Weapons of Mass Destruction: Hindu Views, looks at how Hindus decide when war is right.

Exam-style question

(a) Identify three causes of conflict. [3 marks]

(b) Choose one religion. Outline two teachings about conflict in this religion. [4 marks]

(c) Choose one religion. Explain why there are different attitudes to fighting in this religion. [6 marks]

(d) 'A holy war can never be right.' Evaluate this statement, showing you have considered different points of view. In your answer you should refer to at least one religion. [12 marks]