Diplomacy – The Alternative Dispute Resolution of the Ancients

As the oldest form of Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), diplomacy involves representatives of countries to reach a conclusion that both parties are happy with, without the use of violence. Similar to arbitration, diplomacy uses negotiations instead of weapons.

Here we will discuss how three ancient countries, China, India, and Persia, used diplomacy, rather than violence, to keep the peace.

ancient chinese

In the sixth century a. C., Sun Tzu became one of the first men in the world to be recognized as a diplomat. In a time when emperors vied for all land and power, Sun Tzu created peace treaties between countries, established allies, and exchanged land and property. Sun Tzu is the author of the well-known book “The Art of War”.

ancient indian

A book entitled “Arthashastra”, written during the Mauray dynasty in the 3rd century BC. C., is a book on economic policy, strategic military advancement, and how leaders should use diplomacy. It has been compared to a better known piece of writing, Machiavelli’s highly political work “The Prince”. However, “Arthashastra” deals with themes that Machiavelli ignores, such as having compassion for slaves, women, and the poor.

“Arthashastra” is like a guide to wise and virtuous kings, or Rajarashi, and how they should rule the lands and kingdoms of India.

ancient persia

The land of the Persian Empire, which is the area surrounding present-day Iran, instituted a new form of conflict resolution. At that time, any civilian could approach the King with a complaint about anything he wished. No one was allowed to come between the civilian and his complaint, or that person would face serious consequences. If the problem was with the King himself, the King had to get up from his throne, remove his crown, and immediately correct the problem before returning to his royal seat. This shows that in ancient Persia, even seemingly unimportant people were considered royalty.

Judging by the wisdom possessed by these two ancient cultures, modern politics may have some valuable lessons to learn. Furthermore, the great wisdom of these three Eastern cultures illustrates that they were actually much more advanced than their Western counterparts. Presumably, much of what we know of as modern diplomacy and alternative international dispute resolution is likely heavily influenced by these developed cultures of antiquity.