A History of Hindu Political Theories from the Earliest Times to the End of the First Quarter of the Seventeenth Century A.D. c8.s2: II

c8.s2.1

The early Arthaśāstra contributed some of the most original chapters to Hindu political theory—Its two sources—Antiquity of the Arthaśāstra—Prof. D. R. Bhandarkar's view considered—Definition, scope, and method, of Arthaśāstra—Definition of Daṇḍanīti—Mr. K. P. Jayaswal's view considered—Criticism of the traditional enumeration of the sciences by three Arthaśāstra schools—Arthaśāstra and Rājadharma compared—Relative value of Rājadharma and other groups of duties—The doctrine of seven elements of sovereignty and the category of three powers of the king—Graded arrangement of the seven elements indicates the absence of the idea of organic unity of government—The importance of the king's office—The king's divine nature and the duties of the subjects towards him—The king's duty of protection and the rule of justice—The right of tyrannicide—The Arthaśāstra statecraft and its strong Machiavellian note—The Brāhmaṇa and the king rule by Divine ordination—The king rules by sufferance of the Brāhmaṇa—Early Arthaśāstra thought was distinguished by the qualities of boldness and enthusiasm, although not free from the defects of youth—The services of the Arthaśāstra authors to the cause of Hindu political theory.