Genesis of espionage system in India
Shammi Kumar

ESPIONAGE, practised between states, is an attempt by the states to obtain secretly or under false pretence information about one another that is not available through normal channels. The information sought could be secrets, plans and intentions of a country which are kept in classified government files. An espionage agent usually gathers information illegally from civil servants who have access to such files and will hand them over for money or other compensations. An industrial espionage agent seeks trade secrets or technical scientific information that gives him advantage over rival firms.

Counter espionage is the prevention and thwarting of hostile espionage. It cripples the espionage programme of an adversary by planting its agent (mole) in the "hostile organisation." Another practice is to capture the spies of the hostile organisation and use them as double agents. These double agents feed false information to their original employers.

History of espionage in India dates back to ‘Ram Rajya’. When Lord Rama returned to his kingdom after completing 14 years in exile, his kingship was marred by vicious gossip about what had transpired with Sita when she was in exile. These canards were reported to Lord Rama by his intelligence sleuths.

When Alexander invaded India, he had a well-organised army, which included spies. He was the first ruler to evolve the system of censoring the letters that the soldiers wrote to their families back home. This helped him know the motivation level of the soldiers. It is said that Alexander thwarted any move by the soldiers that went against his interests.

When Chandragupta Maurya brought the India subcontinent under his command, he introduced a very strong and effective administration and the espionage network was a fundamental aspect of it. To keep complete vigil over the administration, including the conduct of officers, a well-knit espionage system was evolved. A large number of secret agents, double agents, spies and counter spies were posted all over India. Kautilya has given an elaborate description of the spy network that was in operation at that time.

There were two kinds of spies: sansthan (stationary) and sanchari (wandering). Only intelligent and smart men and women were recruited as spies. Cipher writing, code words and secret language were used and services of courier pigeons were enlisted. Spies were "ears and eyes" of the king and they kept him informed about the working of the bureaucratic machinery. Male spies disguised themselves as recluses, house-holders, merchants, ascetics, prisoners, etc, while women in addition to the above guises took on the roles of vishkanya, prostitutes, serpent charmers, acrobats, etc.

Modern espionage had its origins with Sir Francis Walsingham. This master spy of Queen Elizabeth I of England, had his agents in all courts of Europe. The Frenchman Josepath, whose secret police supported the regime of Napoleon Bonaparte, excelled in counter espionage .

In the present times, espionage is supported by technological devices such as reconnaissance airplanes, space satellites and snooper ships equipped with sophisticated sensory and photographic devices. These are combined with electronic devices that intercept communications, locate installations and collect data on strategically important events such as missile firings.