Trade and commerce was an important factor, of course. Reigning over a larger territory gave the kings more power to control trade, which ultimately brought more to their coffers. War in modern times too, was motivated by the same principles, sighed Chhaya Guha Roy. Did a government really care about the well-being of the common man in an alien nation, and strive to free its people from their oppressors? Only if getting involved served an economic purpose. These people who could not tolerate another with different beliefs, or who fought with each other on various pretexts, what were they
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