Aspects of Political Ideas and Institutions in Ancient India

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Motilal Banarsidass Publ., 1991 - History - 454 pages
The present work Aspects of Political Ideas and Institutions in Ancient Indian discusses different views on the origin and nature of the state in ancient India. It also deals with stages and processes of state formation and examines the relevance of caste and kin-based collectivities to the construction of polity. The Vedic assemblies are studied in some detail, and developments in political organisation are presented in relation to their changing social and economic background. The book also shows how religion and rituals were brought in the service of the ruling class.
 

Contents

CHAPTER
1
Sources and Method
15
The Saptånga Theory of the State
31
A SocioEcono
77
The Earliest FolkAssembly of the Indo
87
Sabha and Samiti
105
The Early Parisad
133
Ratnahavimși Ceremony
143
Religion and Politics in the Arthaśästra of Kautilya
253
The Satavahana Polity
275
The Kuṣāņa Polity
291
Kuṣāņa Elements in the Gupta Polity
311
The Gupta Polity
321
Vedic and Post
349
Maurya and Later
371
Recapitulation
403

Tribal and Primitive Aspects of the Later
159
Kinconflicts and Rise of Hierarchy in Later
171
Changing Position of
185
Taxation and State Formation in Northern India
197
Varṇa in Relation to Law and Politics c B C
233
and polity 404 Main phases in ancient Indian
405
General Index
423
A Pali Sanskrit and Allied Terms
438
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