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The Mauryan Polity c7.s5.t7: Foreign policy

The Mauryan Polity c7.s5.t7

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Foreign policy

c7.s5.t7.1

Another important function of the king was the conduct of foreign policy. The king who was generally a member in the circle of sovereign states, consisting of enemies, allies, and neutrals, should endeavour to attain the state of stagnation from that of deterioration, and in the end to the state of progress. This stage was to be reached by pursuing six different forms of state policy of which the primary forms, according to Vātavyādhi, are peace and war. It is thus prescribed: “A wise king shall pursue that form of policy which according to his knowledge will enable him to construct fortresses and other buildings, lay out traderoutes, open possibilities of colonisation, exploit mines and timber and elephant forests, and at the same time create disturbance to the similar works of his enemy.”¹ It is also laid down that “enemies from enemies, subjects from subjects, should ever be guarded, and both from his subjects and enemies a learned man should ever guard his own person.”²

c7.s5.t7.2

¹ Ar. śās., Bk. III, Ch. 1. ² pare parebhyassve svebhyaḥ sve parebhyassvataḥ pare| rakṣyāssvebhyaḥ parebhyaśca nityamātmā vipaścitā|| —Bk. IX, ch. 3. ³ See for details the chapter entitled *nāgarakapraṇidhi* in the *Arthaśāstra* bālavṛddhavyādhitavyasanyanāthāmśca rājā bibhṛyāt Bk. II, Ch. I ācāryāvidyāvantaśca pūjavetanāni yathārham labheran, pañcaśatāvaram sahasraparam| ⁴ See *Second Rock Edict*, *Corpus*, Girnār, p. 3.

c7.s5.t7.3

*Promotion of arts, education, etc*

c7.s5.t7.4

The king as the chief representative of the state attended also to the social and socialistic functions, such as promotion of arts and education, health and sanitation, medical aid and poor relief, and other charitable acts and deeds.³ Hospitals, rest-houses, donations, grants to learning and learned men, and maintenance of the widow, the orphan and the helpless were some of the institutions which came under this category.⁴

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