Theory of Government in Ancient India (Post-Vedic) c15.77

c15.77

Hindu theory has little to say on the forms of government which occupy such a large space in Greek and modern European thought. Greek accounts of India disclose a few non-monarchical states in the North-west. The *dialogues* of the Buddha and the Mahâbhârata speak of gaṇas, or republican oligarchies which flourished for a while in a few districts. But the monarchy was the predominant type of polity and, for long stretches of time, the only form of government prevalent in ancient India. Unlike Greek political philosophy, Hindu theory was not called upon to evaluate the respective merits of democracy, aristocracy and monarchy. Hindu writers perforce revolve round a single type of government. They simply accept the monarchy as the government and glorify it as the sustainer of justice, order, righteousness and life itself. But here and there they indicate a ruling class which surrounded the throne. In Vedic literature the terms Rājanya and Kṣatriya alike are applied to the second caste. The epics, lawyers and Purāṇas speak of the duties of the Kṣatriya when they describe the functions of the king. In general literature, too, the Kṣatriya is declared to be the protector of the people. In Kâlidâsa’s Raghuvamśa, for instance, Dilipa remarks that it was established throughout the universe that the Kṣatriya protected (the people) from injury.¹ Thus, the Kṣatriyas as a class are expected to share in the function of government. But the whole caste, scattered throughout a realm, could hardly respond to such a call. When several writers express their preference for hereditary royal servants, or prescribe birth as a qualification for high office, they contemplate a sort of ruling class. If it did not develop into a real aristocracy, it was largely because of a peculiarity of Hindu social organisation. Here caste distributed the brain power, the fighting power and the wealth of the community among different sections, and prevented that combination of intellectual, martial and economic strength which led to aristocratic regime in ancient Greece. Apart from the monarch, a Hindu ruling class could wield influence rather than power. Aristocracy was not the actual form of government and therefore did not engage the attention of theoreticians. Only a body of nobles is reflected in literature.