State and Government in Ancient India c21.20

c21.20

Aśvamedha and Vājapeya sacrifices being prescribed by the Vedic religion, even the idealistic school of the political thinkers could not disapprove of an expedition of conquest; it, however, tried to humanise it as much as possible. The king, who was out for a *dharmavijaya*, was to remain content with the formal recognition of his suzerainty and the payment of a tribute by the conquered king;¹ he was not to annex his kingdom or disturb its administration. If the defeated king died in war, or if he was living but unwilling to continue on the throne, a suitable successor was to be installed in his place. If annexation became inevitable, the established laws and customs were to be respected and the new subjects were to be treated as kindly as the old ones.²