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Political Concepts in Ancient India
these Smriti works, we have chapters on both Prāyś-
citta (expiatory rituals) and Vyavahāra (legal pro-
cedure). The treatment of civil and criminal laws
and also an outline of the social order should in-
variably find a place in an ancient treatise on politics
because, "the Indian King was the custodian of
social order, and he was expected to see that every-
one in the Kingdom kept to the track laid down
for him by the śastras. He had therefore to be well
posted in the knowledge of everyone's duty, be-
sides knowing his own, both as a Kṣatriya and a
King" 14
In the present survey mention should be made
also of Medhatithi (825 to 900 A.C.) and Kulluka
(12th C.A.C.) for their very informative and intelli-
gent commentaries on the Manu Smrti. Likewise,
the Balakrīḍā of Visvarūpa (9th C.A.C.) and the
Mitakṣarā of Vijñāneśvara (12th C.A.C.) are very
useful for understanding the work of Yajña valkya.
KamandakIya Nitisāra
The Kamandakiya Nītisära is another technical
work on the science of Politics. This work was
most probably composed in the Gupta age around
500 A.C. The title implies that the work contains
the principles of politics propounded by Kamanda,
an ancient master. But in fact, it is a compilation
of the theories laid down in the Mahābhārata and
the Arthasāstra by some unknown scholar who was
posterior to Kautilya. This author has great
14. K. V. Rangaswami Aiyangar, Brhaspati Smrti, Preface,
p. 11.
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Original from
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN
Political Concepts in Ancient India
these Smriti works, we have chapters on both Prāyś-
citta (expiatory rituals) and Vyavahāra (legal pro-
cedure). The treatment of civil and criminal laws
and also an outline of the social order should in-
variably find a place in an ancient treatise on politics
because, "the Indian King was the custodian of
social order, and he was expected to see that every-
one in the Kingdom kept to the track laid down
for him by the śastras. He had therefore to be well
posted in the knowledge of everyone's duty, be-
sides knowing his own, both as a Kṣatriya and a
King" 14
In the present survey mention should be made
also of Medhatithi (825 to 900 A.C.) and Kulluka
(12th C.A.C.) for their very informative and intelli-
gent commentaries on the Manu Smrti. Likewise,
the Balakrīḍā of Visvarūpa (9th C.A.C.) and the
Mitakṣarā of Vijñāneśvara (12th C.A.C.) are very
useful for understanding the work of Yajña valkya.
KamandakIya Nitisāra
The Kamandakiya Nītisära is another technical
work on the science of Politics. This work was
most probably composed in the Gupta age around
500 A.C. The title implies that the work contains
the principles of politics propounded by Kamanda,
an ancient master. But in fact, it is a compilation
of the theories laid down in the Mahābhārata and
the Arthasāstra by some unknown scholar who was
posterior to Kautilya. This author has great
14. K. V. Rangaswami Aiyangar, Brhaspati Smrti, Preface,
p. 11.
Digitized by
Original from
UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN