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Explore the nature of the state in ancient India, as a political organism uniting social forces with precise rules. Unlike modern political writers, ancient Indian thinkers did not distinguish between state and government but considered the king as one of the elements in the state. The sovereign power was articulated through the king, responsible for all state affairs. The state was a functional and structural entity, covering all organized secular community activities. The concept of parental despotism reflects the state's role in fostering righteousness and guiding moral life. While the king held absolute power, it was partly restricted by the Sabha and Samiti assemblies. The state's functioning was based on principles from Dharmashastras ensuring fairness and equality. Despite not being democratic in the modern sense, ancient Indian society allowed various sections to flourish, albeit with some societal hierarchies. Kingship was considered divine, and the saying "kingship knows no kinship" reflected the concept. Meditate on the nature of the state in medieval India.
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THE STATE IS THE POLITICAL ORGANISM WHICH UNITES AND CO-ORDINATES SOCIAL FORCES ACCORDING TO THE PRECISE RULES. • ANCIENT INDIAN POLITICAL WRITERS,UNLIKE THE MODERNISTS,NEVER MADE A CLEAR DISTINCTION BETWEEN THE STATE AND THE GOVERNMENT.THEY ALSO NEVER WHOLLY IDENTIFIES THE KING WITH THE STATE. • THE KING WAS MERELY ONE OF THE SEVEN ELEMENTS OF THE STATE ,OTHER SIX BEING MINISTERS,ARMS,TERRITORY,TREASURY,CAPITALAND ALLIES. • THE SOVEREIGN POWER OF THE STATE WAS ARTICULATED THROUGH THE KING WHO WAS CONSIDERED RESPONSIBLE FOR ALL THAT HAPPENED IN HIS REIGN
THE STATE IN ANCIENT INDIA WAS BOTH A FUNCTIONAL AND STRUCTURAL POWER ENTITY. • THE STATE COVERED THE ENTIRE ACTIVITY OF ORGANISED SECULAR COMMUNITY.THE THINKERS OF ANCIENT INDIA CONCEIVED THE STATE AS BEING THE COMPLEX OF ALL SOCIAL ACTIVITY. • THE THEOREY IN SHANTI PURAN SAYS THAT THE STATE SHOULD CEASELESSLY FOSTER RIGHTEOUSNESS,GUIDE AND CONTROL AND CORRECT THE MORAL LIFE OF THE PEOPLE,MAKE THE WORLD HABITABLE AND COMFORTABLE FOR MEN.
HENCE WE CAN SAY THAT THE NATURE OF STATE IN WAS PARENTAL DESPOTICISM. • ALTHOUGH THE KING WAS ABSOLUTE IN HIS POWER BUT HIS POWER TO SOME EXTENT WAS RESTRICTED BY THE SABHA AND SAMITI. • THE KING HAS TO FOLLOW THE DHARMASHASTRAS BEFORE GIVIND THE JUDGEMENT.HIS JUDGEMENT SHOULD BE BASED ON THE CONCEPT OF RIGHT TO EQUALITY. • ALTHOUGH WE CANNOT CALLED THE POLITY OF ANCIENT INDIA AS DEMOCRATIC IN THE MODERN SENSE BUT THRE WERE ENOUGH SCOPE FOR ALL SECTIONS OF THE SOCIETY TO HARNESS THEIR POTENTIAL TO THE FULLEST,ALTHOUGH THE SUDRAS WERE DOWNGRADED IN THE SOCIETY. • REGARDING THE CONCEPT OF ORIGIN OF KINGSHIP,THE KINGWAS CONSIDERED AS DIVIVE AND HIS WORD WAS THE LAW. • THE CONCEPT OF KINGSHIP WAS BASED ON”KINGSHIP KNOWS NO KINSHIP”.
