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?
Tag: Kautilya statecraft analysis
Examine the normative and pragmatic dimensions of Kautilya’s proposition that the interests of the ruler and the subjects are fundamentally interdependent.
Kautilya’s Theory of Reciprocal Welfare: Normative and Pragmatic Dimensions of the Interdependence between Ruler and Subjects Introduction Among the most enduring contributions of ancient Indian political thought is Kautilya’s proposition that the interests of the ruler and the subjects are fundamentally inseparable. Expressed most famously in the , the principle states: “In the happiness of … Continue reading Examine the normative and pragmatic dimensions of Kautilya’s proposition that the interests of the ruler and the subjects are fundamentally interdependent.