Answer in about 150 words: Discuss various methods of Balance of Power. (2026, 10 Marks)
The balance of power is a distribution of capabilities in which no state or bloc can dominate the rest. It is never self-executing: equilibrium has to be produced and repaired. Hans J. Morgenthau (Politics Among Nations, 1948) catalogued the classic methods as divide and rule, compensation, armaments, alliances and the holder of the balance. Kenneth N. Waltz (Theory of International Politics, 1979) grouped them into two families: building one’s own strength and borrowing others’.
Internal balancing
- Armament and modernisation: arms races are internal balancing seen from outside, as in the Anglo-German naval race before 1914.
- Economic and technological base: India’s defence spending of $92.1 billion in 2025 (SIPRI), the world’s fifth largest, together with Himalayan infrastructure, balances China.
- It is the most reliable method, because no ally can withdraw it in a crisis.
External balancing
- Alliances and counter-alliances pool capability against a preponderant state, from the Triple Entente to NATO, whose Hague summit (June 2025) set 5% of GDP for defence by 2035. The Saudi–Pakistan–Turkey Mecca Joint Defence Agreement (August 2026) shows the method at work on India’s western flank.
- Alignment short of alliance: the Quad coordinates without any treaty obligation.
Classical methods of adjustment
| Method | How it shifts the balance | Instance |
|---|---|---|
| Compensation | Equal gains for rivals | Partitions of Poland, 1772–95 |
| Buffer states | Separate rival powers | Belgium (1839); Nepal and Bhutan |
| Divide and rule | Keeps a rival region fragmented | France and the German states |
| Holder of the balance | A detached power backs the weaker side | Britain in Europe |
| Arms control | Fixes the equilibrium by agreement | Washington Naval Treaty, 1922 |
Indian and contemporary variants
- Kautilya’s shadgunya (six measures) includes samshraya, seeking shelter with a stronger king, and dvaidhibhava, peace with one power and hostility towards another, an early theory of dual alignment.
- Soft balancing (Robert A. Pape, T. V. Paul) raises the cost of unilateral action through institutions such as BRICS and the New Development Bank.
- Hedging: S. Jaishankar’s The India Way (2020) prescribes engaging America, managing China and reassuring Russia at once.
- War remains the last resort, as the coalitions against Napoleon and Hitler showed.
Conclusion
The methods have moved from territory to technology and institutions. Compensation is obsolete, and arms control has weakened since New START expired on 5 February 2026, but internal build-up and flexible alignment are flourishing. The balance of power survives through changing instruments.