2023-02-16 11:11:40 by ambuda-bot
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Introduction
political ideas and institutions. The Taittiriya
Brāhmaṇa, Satapatha Brahmana and the Aitareya
Brāhmaṇa contain details of the coronation cere-
mony, the Vajapeya ritual and the Aśvamedha
sacrifice. Aitareya Brāhmaṇa, I. 14, gives us the
earliest legend on the origin of Kingship. In the
same work we have the description of the royal
consecration under the title of Indra-mahābhiseka
(VIII.14 to VIII.19) which is a veritable feast for
the modern critical writers on ancient Indian polity
because of containing the very significant but
deluding terms like Bhaujya, Svārājya, Vairājya,
etc. From these more important Brāhmaṇas,
further informations can be gathered regarding the
topics like the relation between the ruler and the
ruled, the members of the royal family and their
position and the art of war in the contemporary
society.¹ The vedic literature comprising the
Samhitas and the Brāhmaṇas may be placed bet-
ween 1500 and 1000 B.C. or the lower limit may be
brought down by two or three centuries more.³
The Early Smritis or Dharmasutras
The early Smritis or Dharmasūtras like those
of Gautama, Apastamba, Vasistha, Baudhayana
and Visņu, which belong to a period between 600
and 100 B.C., also occupy an important position in
the study of ancient Indian politics. These works
throw light on the political ideals of the day by
way of defining the duties and responsibilities of
1. Basu, IAB. PP. 115-130.
2.
Ghoshal, HIPI, p. xxi.
3. Basham, The Wonder That was India, p. 81.
3
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Original from
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
PAREMA
political ideas and institutions. The Taittiriya
Brāhmaṇa, Satapatha Brahmana and the Aitareya
Brāhmaṇa contain details of the coronation cere-
mony, the Vajapeya ritual and the Aśvamedha
sacrifice. Aitareya Brāhmaṇa, I. 14, gives us the
earliest legend on the origin of Kingship. In the
same work we have the description of the royal
consecration under the title of Indra-mahābhiseka
(VIII.14 to VIII.19) which is a veritable feast for
the modern critical writers on ancient Indian polity
because of containing the very significant but
deluding terms like Bhaujya, Svārājya, Vairājya,
etc. From these more important Brāhmaṇas,
further informations can be gathered regarding the
topics like the relation between the ruler and the
ruled, the members of the royal family and their
position and the art of war in the contemporary
society.¹ The vedic literature comprising the
Samhitas and the Brāhmaṇas may be placed bet-
ween 1500 and 1000 B.C. or the lower limit may be
brought down by two or three centuries more.³
The Early Smritis or Dharmasutras
The early Smritis or Dharmasūtras like those
of Gautama, Apastamba, Vasistha, Baudhayana
and Visņu, which belong to a period between 600
and 100 B.C., also occupy an important position in
the study of ancient Indian politics. These works
throw light on the political ideals of the day by
way of defining the duties and responsibilities of
1. Basu, IAB. PP. 115-130.
2.
Ghoshal, HIPI, p. xxi.
3. Basham, The Wonder That was India, p. 81.
3
Digitized by
Original from
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
PAREMA