SHRI RAM MURTI SMARAK ENGINEERING

INSTITUTIONS
Subject Name:- Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society
Unit- I, PPT. II
Lecture- 2
Topic Name :- State and Kingship Theory in Ancient
India (Part-2)

Dr. Ashok Kumar

SRMS, Collage of Law
Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 1
 Content
1:- Concept of State
2:- Evolutionary Theory of origin of the State
3:- Force Theory of origin of the State
4:- Mystical Theory of origin of the State
5:- Contract Theory of origin of the State
6:- Kingship Theory
7:- Seven Limbs of the State

Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 2

 Kingship Theory
of State
• In ancient India, like Greece various experiments were
made regarding the system of government, i.e,
democracy, monarchy and aristocracy.
• Democracy flourished for a long time, but later on
monarchy become the most accepted from of
government.
• The king become the most important person and the chief
Executive of the government. The system of kingship is a
contribution of Aryan Joint family system . In ancient
India the king used to be hereditary as well as effective.

Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 3

 Continued…
• The importance of the king came to be realized as early as
the age of the Vedas. The Aiterya Brahmana tell us that in
the battle between the Devas and Asuras, the former were
defeated due to the fact that they lacked in the king and
forthwith they elected one from among themselves.
• Both Kautilya and Manu agree that in the absence of a
king, the logic of fish becomes the order of the day .
Kautilya's views on kingship is like that of the
philosopher king of Plato. Kautilya was the strongest
advocate of monarchial for of government.

Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 4

 Continued…
• The theories about the origin of kingship in ancient
India are vague and almost the same the origin
theories of state in ancient India. The Vedic literature
has same speculation about the origin of kingship.
• The Vedic theory is found in the Aiteraya Brahmana .
It asserts that the Devas originally, had no kings, but
after their defeat at the hands of the Asuras, they
Unanimously agreed to elect a king. It has been
suggested that the institution of kingship was
borrowed from the Dravidians.
Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 5
 Continued…
• In the Mauryan Period Kautilya was the famous Prime
Minister of Chandragupta Maurya . The most famous
book during Mauryan Period was Arthashastra written
by Kautilya is believe that the Monarchy or kingship
is the best form of government.
• He says that people suffering from anarchy first
elected Manu to their king and allotted 1/6 of grain
and 1/10 of merchandise as sovereign dues. The king
took upon himself the responsibility of maintaining
the safety and security of his subjects.

Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 6

 Continued…
• A remarkable feature of Kautilya's ideas of kingship
consists in his reaction against the antimonarchi and
dynastic tendencies and that influenced his concept of
sovereignty.
• His conception of kingship is indicated by his
comprehensive scheme of education of the princes
and the influence of his ideas of princes, training is
reflected in his practical rules of the state craft.
• He was responsible for the foundation of the first
historical empire in India.
Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 7
 Continued…
• Elective theory of kingship was not unknown in the ancient
India and so also the theory of contract, as the unseated
earlier with regard to the origin of state. Rig Veda
mentioned that the people elected the king.
• The Kautilya Arthashastra express that the king should look
to the interest of his people. His unique position is
counterpoised by the heavy responsibility that fell on his
shoulders.
• In Kautilya's scheme the king was the lever of the
administration and had necessarily to play a positive and
directive role in the government.
Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 8
 Continued…
• In the Arthashastra, the king in terms of public
administration has been designated as the chief
executive. The king must be a scholar of high
merit. In the constituent element of the state,
king comes first in orders of merit.
• The king is the head of the entire government
system. Nothing moves without his knowledge.
He has enormous powers and occupies a unique
powerful position.
Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 9
 Continued…
The Saptanga Theory: Elements of State
The historic method being then unknown, the evolution of the state
through various stages is not discussed by ancient Indian writers. It is
the first time in Arthashastra of Kautilya find enumerated seven
elements of state. These are:-
1. Swami or King
2. Amatya
3. Janpad
4. Durga or Forts
5. Kosha or Treasury
6. Danda or Army
7. Allies or Mitrani

Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 10

 Continued…
1. Swami or King
• Kautilya assign to the king the highest place in the body
politic. King or swami was the consumination of all other
elements in state and he represented the legal and moral
authority, constitutionally king was the chief executive head
and commander-in-chief of the army.
• The king was the very life of the state. According to the
Arthashastra, the king was the defender of the Dharma.
According to Kautilya, the king and his king are the primary
elements of the state. Because all other elements depend on
these two elements.
Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 11
 Continued…
• The king or swami was the head of the state and occupies
an exalted position on his polity. For Kautilya, the king is
the main pillar of state, and the master of the techniques
of state craft.
• The king must be a scholar of high merit. He must have
full knowledge of the Vedas, The Arthashastra, Dandniti,
science of war etc.
2. Amatya
• Amatya constitutes the second elements of the state. But
Kautiya refers to Amatya in different sense.

Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 12

 Continued…
• Amatya generally means the council of ministers. In the
Arthashastra the Amatya constitute a regular cadre of the
service from which all high officers such as chief priest,
ministers, collectors, officers, envoys and the
Superintendents of various department are to be recruited.
• Kautilya says kingship is possible only with assistance.
Therefore the need of ministers connection. In
Arthashastra three words Mantri, Amatya and Sachiva use
for the ministers. So Amatya is rather a general word for
higher bureaucracy.

Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 13

 Continued…
• The highest category of the Amatya collectively
known as Mantrins, like today cabinet ministers. The
king deliberates over the policy of state with three or
four ministers.
• The council of ministers is largely responsible for
shaping the policy of the government. The king and
ministers constituted the central government, which
exercised the sovereign powers.

Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 14

 Continued…
3. Janpad
• Janpad forms the third elements of the state. The
implication of Janpad defined in the Arthashastra
implies both territory and population because without
the territory and the population a state can not exist.
• The territory should contain fertile lands, mines,
timber, pasture grounds, forests and water ways etc.
The Janpad should be prosperous and its lands fertile.
The people should include men with good character
and loyalty, intelligent, wise masters and slaves.
Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 15
 Continued…
• Kautilya envisaged ethnic different among the people. In
the beginning only people of common ethnic origin
inhabited the land but with conquest and migration more
than one ethnic people were included in the Janpad.
• Kautilya advised the king to induce people from other
countries to migrate and settle in new village on old sites
or new sites people from thickly populated areas of his
own kingdom to settle down in such village with a view
to securing that each village should consist of not less
than one hundred and not more than five hundred
families and contain a sufficient number of sudra
cultivators. Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 16
 Continued…
• The king was to protect agriculture and industry was
also the responsibility of the king.
4. Durga or Forts
• For every state it is necessary to have safety and
protection system. Therefore, Kautilya considered the
forts as one of the main components of a state.
• He considers forts as powerful as people and land.
Because internal and external securities are important.
Because without external security, no state can be stable.

Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 17

 Continued…
• We can protect the state from external attacks by forts and
fortification. The security of the treasury and army depends
on fortification.
• Durga or Fort constitutes the fourth and an important
elements of the state. Here Durga means the Fortes and it
should be understood in the sense of fortified capital.
• Kautilya talks of Durgavidhana in his Arthashastra. In
Durgavidhana, he refers to planning and layout of capital.
• The capital is to be built at a central place, areas are to be set
apart for members of different Varnas and for artisans as
well as gods.
Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 18
 Continued…
• Forts continued to play an important role in the stability
and consolidation of states, Many functions like secret
war, the readiness of the army and fighting the enemy are
to be carried out from the fort.
5. KOSHA (TREASURY)
• Kosha or Treasury is an extremely important resource. It
is the back bone of any business. A strong and well
managed treasury is the heart of any organization. Kosha
or Treasury constitutes the fifth elements of Kautilya’s
state.

Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 19

 Continued…
• Kosha or Treasury is necessary for the protection and
maintenance of the state in general and army in
particular.
• The treasury should be filled with gems, gold, jewels etc
and should have the capacity to sustain the calamities for
long time.
• Kautilya says that all undertakings depend upon Kosha,
Treasury was the backbone of the state finances were
well looked after. Income of the state was derived from
taxes like export taxes, sales tax, village tax, etc.
Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 20
 Continued…
6. DANDA OR ARMY
• Without a sound defense system there cannot be the
existence of state. And for the defense of the state
there should be a strong army.
• Therefore, it is very necessary that he constitute a
strong army and use it for the internal and external
threats.
• Kautilya has described the army as sixth aspect of the
state. He has used ‘force’ word for army.

Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 21

 Continued…
• ‘Force’ means army and army is very compulsory for the
defense of the state. Army is used to control anti-social
elements in the society and disloyal people. Army is also
useful in defending the state from outside attacks.
ALLIES-MITRANI
• Kautilya’s concept of Mitra (ally) is based more an ethical
considerations. The real ally should be hereditary and not
artificial.
• It should be one with whom there is no possibility of rupture
and one who is ready to come to help when occasion
demands it.
Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 22
 Continued…
• But on the other hand, one is to be treated as an
enemy who is greedy, possessed with disloyal
subjects, loose character, addicted to mean pleasure,
powerless and impotent.
• The ideal ally is one who has the following qualities,
a friend of the family for a long time, constant,
amenable to control, powerful in his support, sharing
a common interest, able to mobilize quickly and not
a man who double crosses his friends.

Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 23

 Continued…
• Thus the Saptanga theory as propounded by
Kautilya have monumental contribution to the
science, politics and administration.
• This theory contains all the elements that
contribute to good governance and origin of
the state with kinship theory.
• Kautilya theory of state and kinship is look
like a sphere theory of security.

Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 24

 Important Questions
Q1. Write different theories of origin of State.
Q2. Write short note on Kingship theory of State.
Q3. Write short note on Seven Limbs of the State.
Q4. Write short note on Force Theory of origin of
State.
Q5. Write short note on Evolutionary Theory of origin
of State.

Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 25

 References
• Reference Books:-
1. Romila Thapar, “Reading in Early Indian
History”.
2. A.L. Basham, “The Wonder that was India”.
3. R.S. Sharma, “Aspects of Political Ideas and
Institutions in Ancient India”.
4. Notes:- IGNOU.

Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 26

Thank You

Indian Traditions, Cultural & Society/Unit I 27