Over the last 5,000 years, countless wars have been fought on the Indian subcontinent. But three stand out for their profound and lasting impact: the Kalinga War (261 BCE), the Third Battle of Panipat (1761), and the Indo-Pak War of 1971.

The Kalinga War had the greatest impact in terms of scale, deaths, and cultural influence. It paved the way for the establishment of Buddhism as the dominant religion of the subcontinent at that time and the spread of Buddhism to other regions. Buddhism became the first missionary religion in the world.

The Third Battle of Panipat was one of the bloodiest and marked the decline of the mighty Maratha empire, which had the potential to unify the subcontinent. The defeat of Marathas facilitated the British to rule India for the next 200 years.

The Indo-Pak war of 1971 liberated Bangladesh. It was a rare instance in modern history where a nation (India) intervened militarily to help another (Bangladesh) gain independence without seeking territorial gain. The war was humanitarian and ethical in nature. It changed the geopolitics of South Asia in favour of India.

While the Kalinga War and the Third Battle of Panipat were driven by power and conquest, the 1971 Indo-Pak War stood apart as a war for liberation.