State and Government in Ancient India c21.16

c21.16

The *maṇḍala* theory presupposes the division of the country into a number of small states and the presence of an ambitious conqueror, anxious to establish his hegemony over them. Both these assumptions were true of ancient Indian polity and they have not become antiquated even in the modern world, in spite of the presence of the United Nations Organisation. The theory lays down that the immediate neighbouring state in front should be assumed to be enemical. The enmity between France and Germany, between Poland and Russia, between China and Japan was largely due to their contiguity, which often caused conflicts of interests. The state which is the neighbour of one’s neighbour is assumed to be a friendly ally. The temporary alliance between Germany and Russia in 1939 and between England and Poland in 1937 show the general truth of this assumption. Next to *ari* (enemy) and *mitra* (ally), *arimitra* (enemy’s ally) *mitramitra* (one’s ally’s ally) and *arimitramitra* (enemy’s ally’s ally) will figure in the *maṇḍala*. All this follows the natural assumption of the probable enmity between neighbours. The kings in the front enumerated above are five in number.