A History of Indian Political Ideas: the Ancient Period and the Period of Transition to the Middle Ages

624 Pages·1959·30.026 MB·English

by  Upendra Nath Ghoshal

DEDICATED
TO THE
SACRED MEMORIES
OF
S. G. and A. G.
BY THE SAME AUTHOR
Contributions to the History of the Hindu Revenue Syste
(Calcutta University Press, 1929)
The Agrarian System in Ancient India
(Calcutta University Press, 1930)
Progress of Greater Indian Research, 1919-42
(1943)
A History of Hindu Public Life, Part I
(1945)
Studies in Indian History and Culture
(Orient Longmans, 1957)
A History of Indian Public Life
(Volume II, Oxford University Press, 1966 :
Volumes I & III in preparation)
A HISTORY OF
INDIAN POLITICAL IDEAS
THE ANCIENT PERIOD AND THE PERIOD OF
TRANSITION TO THE MIDDLE AGES
U. N. GHOSHAL, M.A., Ph.D.
Formerly Professor of History, Presidency College, Calcutta
Formerly Editor, 1 Journal of the Greater India Society ’
Honorary Fellow, The Asiatic Society, Calcutta
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
Oxford University Press, Ely House, London W .1
GLASGOW NEW YORK TORONTO MELBOURNE WELLINGTON
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Bharat Insurance Building, Mount Road, Madras 2
Upendra Nath GHOSHAL, 1886
© Oxford University Press, 1959
First published 1959
Reprinted with corrections 1966
PRINTED PHOTOGRAPHICALLY IN INDIA AT THE C.L.S. PRESS, BANGALORE,
FROM TYPE SET AT THE TIMES OF INDIA PRESS, BOMBAY, AND PUBLISHED
BY JOHN BROWN , OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS, MADRAS 2
dharmamartham cha Jcdmarh cha pravartayati pati cha
adharmdnarthavidveshdnidam sdstram nihanti cha

(Kautilya’s Arthasastra xv)

‘ This branch of knowledge (sc. Arthasastra) induces fulfilment of Virtue,
Wealth and Pleasure and secures the same, while it destroys what is the
reverse of Virtue and antagonistic to Wealth. ’
sarvasya jivalokasya rajadharmah parayanam
trivargo hi samdsakto rajadharmeshu Kaurava
...
mokshadharmascha vispashtah sakalo'tra samahitah
sarve tydga rajadharmeshu drishtah sarve dikshdh rajadharmeshu yuktdh
sarve vidya rajadharmeshu choktdh sarve lokdh rajadharmeshu pravishtah

(Mahdbhdrata xii. 56, 3-4 ; ibid. 63, 27)
‘ The code of royal duties is the refuge of the whole living creation : the
threefold end of human existence is fixed in the code of royal duties, 0 Son
of Kuru : the goal of salvation as well, in fact the whole category of four
ends, is summed up in this code. ... In the code of royal duties is found
every form of renunciation, in the code of royal duties are joined all religious
rites : in the code of royal duties is united all learning : in the code of royal
duties are centred all the worlds.’
kriyaikadesabodhini iastranyani santi hi
sarvopajivakam lokasthitikrinnitisastrakam
dharmarthakdmamularh hi smritam mokshapradam yatah

(,Sukranitisara I • 4-5)
* Other branches of learning enlighten the people on only one aspect of their

activities : nitisdstra [on the other hand] is the source of subsistence of all
classes, and it maintains the established usage of men.’
These three extracts quoted from the works of as many foremost expo¬
nents of the science of polity (called by different names) in Ancient India
reflect their view, with evident exaggeration, of the universal scope and
purpose of the science.