Indian political Thought Historical Background Ancient Political Thought

Indian political Thought Historical Background

Ancient Political Thought • Popularly known as Hindu Political Thought • It can be traced from the beginning of Vedic period around second millennium B. C. to the consolidation of Muslim rule in the 4 th Cent. A. D. • Major tenets originate from the ancient concept of Rta or Cosmic Order implying harmony that underlies all objects of the universe.

Hindu Political Thought • It is different from man made laws which can be created and altered at will. • In other words, it denotes the natural order found in the entire cosmos-the order which governs the natural world, all living beings, all heavenly bodies as well as primary elements(earth, water, fire, wind and space).

• It is therefore all pervading order behind all natural phenomena as well as human acts. • Like the Western concept of Natural Law(i, . e. the law inherent in the nature itself), Rta can be discovered by a human being through his own spiritual experience, i. e. his own intuition.

Dharma • It directs all men to accept their predetermined status and the role assigned thereto. • Dharma entails a system of duties which comprehends the individual’s social obligations.

• Adherence to Dharma is therefore instrumental to the realization of virtue. • There are other cardinal virtues which along with Dharma comprise a set of cardinal values. • Hindu social philosophy recognized four Purusharthas, that is the principal object of human life.

• • Dharma, i. e. virtue promoted by Artha Kama Moksha

DANDA • Literally means a rod which is the symbol of power, i. e. the ability for the use of force. • It also means punishment; hence it is also a symbol of power to punish the offenders. • The person authorized to wield the Danda was designated as dandhara(i. e. the bearer of the rod); also a synonym of the king or the sovereign • The science of politics and the art of government was widely described as Dandniti

Dandniti • It finds many references in Manusmriti and Kautilya’s Arthashastra. • Kautilya identifies four purposes of Dandniti: • Acquisition of the unacquired; • Preservation of the acquired; • Augmentation of the preserved; and • Fair distribution of the resources so required • Thus Danda is not only a device of control of errant elements, it is also an instrument of acquisition, preservation and augmentation of the wealth and power of the ruler who is duty bound to ensure fair distribution of resources.