At its most basic, power represents “the ability to do things and control others, to get others to do what they otherwise would not.” Joseph Nye of Harvard University wrote this in his seminal work on the changing contours of American dominance after the Cold War. Nye, furthermore, addressed a different, or “soft” form of power, which involves pulling others freely to your position by instilling empathy or jealousy, self-identification or desire in them.
Culture, both high and low, reflects and indicates a society’s meaning and values, which, along with its practises and policies, make up its basic soft-power assets. Nye had also said that with soft power, “the best propaganda is no propaganda.” Nye popularised the term in his 1990 book Bound to Lead: The Changing Nature of American Power and further explained it in his 2004 book, Soft Power: The Means to Success in World Politics.
Power, according to Nye, is the ability to influence others’ behaviour in order to achieve your desired results. You can achieve this in a variety of ways: by threatening them, inducing them with payments, or attracting and co-opting them to get what you want. Soft power involves persuading others to want the same outcomes as you.
How can art help to shape a country’s soft power? One of the three important components of a nation’s soft power, according to Nye, is its culture, how it portrays itself and appeals to other countries and individuals. This can include its history and the tale it tells, as well as newer and more fluid aspects of culture like media, digital assets, and film. China and much of Asia has been instrumental in popularising martial arts like Kung Fu, Wushu and Muay Thai to the world and have become a signature art of East Asia. Unlike the US, Europeans’ love of football enhances their soft power globally, whereas the primary sports of the US like baseball is largely unpopular on the world stage.
Back home in India, zero, logic, geometry, basic algebra, calculus, probability, astronomy, and other concepts originated in ancient India and were later introduced to the West by Arabic mathematicians. One of the greatest pieces of art in history, the Taj Mahal, which is listed among the wonders of the world, helps India’s position in the soft power index.
In recent years, Indian films have played a significant role in promoting Indian culture around the world. Since the release of Awaara, a huge hit in Russia, Indian cinema has expanded outside its borders. Bollywood movies are widely viewed throughout Central and Western Asia. Indian films have also found an audience in eastern societies and are now becoming more popular in the west.
Bollywood festivals are now taking place in a number of cities while Bollywood dance groups perform at New Year’s Eve celebrations, a treatment that other non-English film industries do not receive. Another illustration of India’s soft power in the modern world is the popularity of the ancient Indian school of Yoga around the world.
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