The Mauryan Polity c6.s3.t5: Śakti and Siddhi
The Mauryan Polity c6.s3.t5
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Śakti and Siddhi
c6.s3.t5.1
While the conqueror's circle of states is the primary circle, three other circles are also mentioned. They are the potential enemy's circle, the Madhyama king's circle of states, and the Udāsīna king's circle of states. Thus the total number of kings constituting the maṇḍala are twelve and each possessing five elements of sovereignty, the aggregate of elements in the big circle of twelve kings is sixty. The chieftains of these twelve states constitute themselves twelve sovereign elements. The *dvādaśarājamaṇḍala* then contained altogether seventy-two elements of sovereignty. Every one of the states possessed besides the elements of sovereignty two chief factors all contributing to defining the active or inactive policy of every state. The two factors are the consummation (*siddhi*) and power consisting of strength of wisdom, strength of treasury and army, and strength of energy and enthusiasm (*śakti*). In other words these were the means to the end in view, namely happiness. This end was three-fold, the consequence of the three-fold *śakti* or strength. That monarch who possessed of these elements and the means above mentioned became the overlord of not only his maṇḍala but of the whole of the *maṇḍala* through further exertion of his power (*śakti*). By augmenting his own power and behaving righteously towards his neighbours the power of the inferior is thrown into the shade, and these have no option but to accept the overlordship of the Vijigīṣu or the conquering monarch. After giving such details and more, the *Kauṭalīya* ends the section with the very instructive and informing verse which says : "Throwing the circumference of the circle of states beyond his friend's territory, and making the kings of those states as the spokes of that circle, the conqueror shall make himself as the nave of that circle."¹
c6.s3.t5.2
¹ Trans., Bk. VI, ch. ii: cp. Bk. VII, ch. xviii.
c6.s3.t5.3
*Primary kings and subsidiary states*
c6.s3.t5.4
From this we are not to conclude that the whole of the then known world was divided into twelve states and their relations were consequently defined. These twelve kings were primary kings, heads of the primary states. It can be, therefore, affirmed with reasonable confidence that these chief states were in their turn the overlords of several small subsidiary states, each enjoying internal autonomy and responsible to his superior so far as external policy of that kingdom was concerned. Thus there was a number of small states, all in a subordinate capacity to the superior who must have been one among the twelve kings comprising the *maṇḍala* group. When one of these twelve kings augmented his power and means, he became superior to other kings and his suzerain power was acknowledged by one and all. He was then the emperor of the land and his kingdom was *empire* and his policy was that of the *imperialist*. This is the idea of an empire set forth in the *Arthaśāstra*, and any other construction is to misunderstand the true conception that lies behind this significant notion. It has been remarked that the policy enunciated by the author of the *Arthaśāstra* is not imperial in outlook but narrowed down to a small state. But let it be noted that the policy enunciated is applicable to a small state as well as to a large state which we call an empire.
Linked texts (1)
- Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra — Kauṭilya, Sanskrit