Political Science

Study Material

9 INDIAN POLITICAL THOUGHT -I

After reading this lesson you will be familiar with:

·         The views of Kautilya on State.

·         Gandhiji's idea of Swaraj.

·         Ambedkar and Social Justice

Many Indian thinkers from ancient times have offered thoughts on politics and political institutions. The tradition in India originally has been that state and state-craft and politics were viewed as a part of the general philosophical tradition of the Vedas and Upanishads. Kautilya represents that tradition among ancient thinkers most prominently. Even in the views of Gandhiji one can see traces of the Indian tradition. Nehru and Ambedkar were educated in the west and were influenced by the European political traditions and were thus interested in the political philosophy of equality and liberal freedoms that is the focus of the western traditions.

Kautilya on State 

The ancient Indian concepts of state and state-craft were derived from the concept of Dharma. It was the general philosophical position that the goal of each individual on earth is to move towards spiritual realisation or moksha and duties in one's day to day life or karma was seen as a way of aiding that process. The branch of knowledge that prescribed how people in different positions in society should conduct their secular duties and carry out their roles were part of what was called Arthashastra as opposed to Dharmashastra that dealt with the realm of spiritual perfection. Arthashastra dealt with the science of prosperity and material gains, governance of a political unit or territory and promoting prosperity. In 1905 a book called Arthashastra was discovered written by one Kautilya, a minister in the kingdom of the great Mauryan king Chandragupta Maurya, Kautilya's work was written in the context of the social and political scene during the fourth century BC.

Kautilya's Arthashastra deals with administration details more than with political theory because unlike in the west there has never been any ultimate perfections or goals to be sought in politics but rather in the realm of spiritual sadhana or contemplation with secular duties and lives so designed as to be of aid in that process. Kautilya in his work covers political and economic matters of administration as also morality, education, social problems, responsibilities of the king and subjects, international relations, army, spy system etc. The book has six thousand shlokas and fifteen chapters each dealing with one department of running a state. The chapters are on: discipline of the prince, qualifications of ministers and duties of the king, departments of ministers, civil laws, criminal laws, removal of dangers to the state, elements of kingship and policy threats to the welfare of the state, military campaigns, corporations, theory of conquest, devices for advancing the interests of the state etc.

Kautilya puts out clear views on the state but mentions at one place that state originated when people got tired of the law of fish (matsyanayaya) and selected Manu as their king with the decision that he would receive one-sixth of the grain and one-tenth of the merchandise and gold as his share (of taxes) which would enable him to ensure the safety and security, and law and order of the state and punish the wrong doers. Kautilya adopts the seven limbs theory of the state of Indian tradition or saptang which are: (1) Swami, (2) Amatya, (3) Janpad, (4) Durg, (5) Kosha, (6) Sena and (7) Mitra.He suggests a state can only function when all these elements or limbs of a body politic are mutually integrated and cooperate well with each other.

Swami (The Sovereign King) 

The king was referred to as the Lord or Swami and placed at the top of the body politic. Kautilya says a perfect king should have the following qualities:

(a) he should have an inviting nature

(b) he should have qualities of intellect and intuition

(c) he should have great enthusiasm

(d) he should have qualities of self-restraint and spirit.

In addition Kautilya mentions the king should be from a high family, be non-fatalistic, endowed with strong character and should be religious and truthful. He should be free of passion, anger, greed, fickleness and capable of self-management, observing the customs taught by elderly people and have the capacity to make judgements like when to go to war and when to seek peace through a treaty. He should have a sense of sovereignty and owe allegiance to anybody and be the king of one whole political organisation and not part of it.

Amatya (Ministers) 

By amatya Kautilya refers to higher officials of the state like ministers and not necessarily just ministers. He says the qualities of a high official should be: he must be a janpad, a native of the county that he is an official of, come from a good family, be adequately trained, have foresight, eloquence, dignity, enthusiasm, have administrative ability, knowledge of scriptures, and high character, a morally and ethically pure character, steadfastness and devotion.  

Janpad (Territory and People) 

Territory and People constitute the third limb of the state in Kautilya's Arthashastra. Kautilya gives a clear-cut description of what an ideal territory would be like. He says the territory should be free from muddy, rocky, saline, uneven and thorny areas and from wild beats. There should be lands that are fertile with lots of timber and elephant forests. There should be plenty of arable land, and richness of cattle, and the land should be wholesome to cows and men. The territories should not be dependent on rains too much and have waterways. Also there should be roads and good markets capable of bearing the army and taxation. The people populating a state should have the qualities of being hostile to the foes, be powerful enough to control the neighbouring kings and consist of people who are pure and devoted. The people should respect the rule of law and the government Kautilya also says the people should consist of industrious agriculturists and a majority of lower classes of economically productive vaish and shudras. Also the masters of the people should be not too intelligent so that they can be controlled by the king easily.

Durg (Fort) 

Kautilya identifies forts as the fourth limb and mentions four kinds of forts that a king needs. He says the four kind of forts that are necessary are: water forts, hill forts, desert forts and forest forts. The water and hill forts are suitable for defending the population and the desert and forest forts and suitable as headquarters for wild regions and to serve as places to run away to in case of emergency. Kautilya says the power of a king depends on the forts which should be fit for fighting and to defend the state.

Kosha (Treasury) 

Kautilya clears puts great store by the economic resources of a state and mentions that the success of a state depends upon its treasury size which should have enough gold and silver to see the king through long periods of calamity. The treasury should be legitimately acquired by the king or his predecessors. The treasury is easily increased when (1) there is opulence of the industrial department run by the state, (2) there is a propensity for commerce and (3) abundance in harvest. In cases of emergency Kautilya finds no problem with the king raising revenue even through means such as a higher assessment on first class and fertile land and heavy taxes on merchandise etc. He also condones in emergencies for the king to exploit the superstitious and religious sentiments of the people.

Sena (Army) 

Kautilya mentions the army or sena as the limb that the king needs to control both his own people and his enemy's. Kautilya talks about six types of army: (1) hereditary forces, (2) hired troops, (3) soldiers of fighting corporations, (4) troops belonging to an ally, (5) troops belonging to the enemy and (6) soldiers of wild tribes. Interestingly the best of the six according to Kautilya is the hereditary army composed of members of the Kshatriya caste for they are ost loyal to the king and are committed to serve the king through weal and woe and have powers of endurance and superior fighting skills because they have fought many battles.

Mitra (Ally) 

Kautilya finally stresses on the need for political friends in the other states because no state functions in isolation. Kautilya classifies allies into two kinds: Sahaj (natural) and Kritrim (acquired). The sahaj ally is one who is close by territorially and has been inherited as a friend from fathers and grandfathers and the kritrim ally is one who is resorted to temporarily for the protection of wealth and life. Kautilya prefers the sahaj ally over the kritrim one if the sahajii ally is free from deceit and is capable of making large scale preparations for war quickly and on a large scale. 

In Kautilya's view the above seven elements are necessary for maintaining and perfecting the sovereignty of the king.

Kautilya classifies the functions of the state basically into four:

1. Protection: The first function of the state is guarding the country against internal as well as external threats. Internally people and their property have to be protected from thieves and dacoits etc and also externally from outside the state there may be threats from invasions that have to be dealt with.   

2. Maintaining the Law: The king and the state, it is expected by the people, will maintain the customs and laws of the land. The king according to Kautilya should settle legal disputes in conformity with the sacred principles and laws in consultation with learned brahmins.    

3. Preserving Social Order: Kautilya saw it the duty of the king to protect the dharma of the land by which he meant the social order. It is the duty of the king to deliver justice and help keep people of different varnas preserve their professions or in other words help maintain varnadharmashrarma.    

4. Promoting the welfare of the people: The king according to Kautilya should function on the goal that it is in the happiness of his subjects that his happiness lies. The state should control the whole of social life. It should promote religion and spirituality and in so doing regulate the age and conditions under which one might renounce the world. Kautilya advised the state should provide support to the poor, pregnant women, and to their children, to orphans, to the aged, the afflicted and the helpless.