Hindu Administrative Institutions c7.s2.t1: Origin in War

Hindu Administrative Institutions c7.s2.t1

Language: English

Origin in War

c7.s2.t1.1

The second theory of the origin of kingship is the Vedic theory of origin in war.² To quote Mr. Jayaswal there was a contest between the *devas* and the *asuras*. The latter were victorious. The *devas* attributed their defeat to the fact that they had no king while the *asuras* had a king. Hence they resolved to elect one. All agreed. Jayaswal comments, ‘if it had a historical reference it would refer to the tribal stage of the Aryans in India and it would suggest that the institution of kingship was borrowed from the Dravidians.’³ This seems to point to a period of culture when people were still leading a tribal life and had not an organized form of government. The text of the *Aitarēya* *Brāhmaṇa* suggests the theory that kingship originated in war. It may provide authority for the theory of election as well.

c7.s2.t1.2

² *Aitarēya Brāhmaṇa*, i. 14. देवासुरा वा एषु लोकेषु समयतंत..........तांस्ततोऽसुरा अजयन् . . . . . देवा अब्रुवन्नराजतया वै नोजयंति राजानं करवामहा इति तथेति ॥.

c7.s2.t1.3

³ *Hindu Polity*, pt. ii, pp. 4-5.

Linked texts (1)

Aitareyabrāhmaṇa — Mahidāsa Aitareya, Sanskrit