Hindu Administrative Institutions c5.1

c5.1

THE pages following attempt to present a picture of the administrative institutions of the Hindus, based primarily on the political portions of the Dharmaśāstras, and Arthaśāstra treatises. It is the work of V. R. Ramachandra Dikshitar, M.A., as a research student at the University during the years 1923-27. He attempts by a frankly synthetic method, to collect together such information as could be got on the political ideas and the principles underlying the institutions of the Hindus for carrying on administration. A subject such as this can hardly be regarded as fully worked up until the ideals of government obtaining at the time when they happen to be set down in writing, whether as general principles in the Dharmaśāstras or specific instructions in the Arathaśāstras, are clearly and fully exhibited in the first instance. When this is done, the result has to be compared and checked by such information as could be gleaned from even didactic works such as the portions of the Mahābhārata bearing upon Rāja Dharma for instance, and other chapters scattered through the work. This has again to be compared with such details as could be got from works of a similar character. These two items may be regarded as constituting the literary side of the work.