Governance, Normativity, and Political Thought in Classical India: Reassessing the Arthashastra and Manusmriti Introduction A recurring debate in the study of Indian political thought concerns whether classical Indian texts such as the and the should be understood primarily as manuals of governance or as works of political theory. Early colonial and orientalist scholarship often argued … Continue reading To what extent do classical Indian texts such as the Arthashastra and the Manusmriti reflect a concern with governance rather than political theory?