PSIR Power 50 – Day 10 Capsule: IPT- Part1/2 + Practice Qs |ForumIAS

Hello Aspirants

Today it’s about first part of Indian Political thought– Nature, Sources, Characteristics, Dharma shastras, Mahabharata Tradition, Buddhist Political Thought, Jain Political Thought, Kautilya’s Arthashastra.

Some of you take it lightly but UPSC likes to ask big questions from this section (either 15 or 20 Marks). So, across Dharamshastra, Arthashastra, and the Buddhist tradition you have 8 fifteen-mark questions and 2 twenty-mark questions; none are ten-mark questions in last 12 years.

1 | Nature of Early Indian Political Thought

Multiple labels for “politics”: Rajadharma · Kshatravidya · Rajyasastra · Dandaniti · Nitisastra · Arthasastra.
Concept of Matsyanyaya: in a law-less state of nature the “big fish eat small fish” ⇒ need for Danda (coercive authority).
Dharma + Danda: moral order (dhr = “to hold”) upheld by disciplined punishment; king prevents Varnasankara and enforces Varnashrama-dharma.

2 | Sources & Historiography

Textual base: Rig, Sama, Yajur, Atharva Vedas · Dharmasutras & Smritis · Mahabharata · Ramayana · Arthasastras (esp. Kautilya) · Buddhist & Jain canons · Epigraphs, coins, Greek & Chinese accounts.
Nationalist recovery: K. T. Telang · R. G. Bhandarkar · Radhakumud Mookerji · K. P. Jayaswal · R. C. Majumdar · B. K. Sarkar highlighted India’s political heritage; R. S. Sharma exposed their caste-blind romanticism.

3 | Characteristic Features (after Bhikhu Parekh)

Politics fused with Dharma; divine sovereignty limits rulers.
Ethical kingship internally, pragmatic realism (Kautilya) externally.
Varnashrama hierarchy: Brahmana–Kshatriya governance compact, Vaishya support, Shudra subordination.
State & society indistinct; monarchy normal though Ganasanghas existed.
Writing style didactic, conservative, apologetic; plural loci of authority.

4 | Buddhist Contributions

Kingship via social contract: people elect Mahāsammata; revolt against tyranny justified.
Sangha models democratic procedure: assemblies, quorum, voting, committees.
Upholds Dharma over Danda; ideal Chakravartin rules by virtue.

5 | Muslim-Period Inputs

Theoretically Islamic state under Caliphal legitimacy; jizya for non-Muslims.
Abu’l-Fazl ibn Mubarak ( Ain-i-Akbari ): king radiates Divine Light; duties—protection, justice, paternal care, conquest.
Contrast “true” vs “selfish” monarchs.

6 | Political Wisdom of the Mahābhārata – Śāntiparva

Authored by Krishna Dwaipayana Vyāsa; treated as historical-political text by D. D. Kosambi.
Three books: Rajadharmanushasana · Apaddharmānushasana · Mokshadharma.
Two state-origins: Divine (story of Prithu Vainya) & Social contract (people seek order)—underscored by historian R. Sharan Sharma.
Saptāṅga elements (echo Kautilya): Swāmin, Amātya, Janapada, Durga, Kosha, Danda/Bala, Mitra.
Kingship = dean of Dandaniti; promotes Purusharthas (Dharma-Artha-Kāma-Moksha).
Anant S. Altekar: royal authority rests on both divine sanction & popular consent.
Foreign policy: spies, cautious alliances, underestimate none.

7 | Manusmṛti — Brahminical Law-State

Smriti source: combines shruti (Veda) & human tradition; four legal founts: Veda, conduct of Vedic learned, practice of holy men, conscience.
K. P. Jayaswal: rulers like Puṣyamitra Śuṅga used divine-law claims for legitimacy.
Kingship averts Matsyanyaya; Danda itself is king.
Governance counsel: noble ministers, saam-daam-bhed-dand diplomacy, forts, spies, bee-like taxation (never taxing Brahmins).
Varna-centric justice: Brahmin leniency vs Shudra severity; Brahmin courts, Shudra barred.
Marriage code: eight rites; anuloma tolerated, pratiloma condemned.
Women under perpetual male guardianship; likened to property.
Mixed castes stratified (Anuloma · Pratiloma) with set occupations.
B. R. Ambedkar burned Manusmṛti (25 Dec 1927): “clog on the wheel of civilisation,” symbol of Dalit oppression.

8 | Buddhist Political Thought (Dīgha Nikāya)

Key modern interpreters → T. W. Rhys Davids · S. J. Tambiah · Max Weber

Evolution (per B. G. Gokhale)	Core doctrines, texts & scholars
Phase I – Mahāsammata social-contract	Agganna Sutta: beings fall from self-luminous state → greed, property, theft; elect the “Great Elect” to police society. Analysed by V. P. Varma, linked to A. B. Keith (subtle-body idea). Legitimacy by consent (U. N. Ghoshal), challenges Brahmanical divine right. Ernest Gellner → psychological drivers; Steven Collins echoes.
Phase II – Monarchic ascendancy	Four functional classes; coexistence then eclipse of oligarchic republics (Shākya polity). Decline traced by Uma Chakravarti. Sovereignty terms ānā · ādhipacca · issariya · vasa · siri. Saptaratna (wheel, elephant, horse, councillor, woman, jewel, householder). Dasa-rājadhamma (dāna → avirodhana). Welfare & “king without thorns” ideal (noted by Gail Omvedt).
Phase III – Dhamma & Chakravartin	Dhamma as cosmic regulator; state = instrument. Dual spheres ānā (command) & Dhamma (moral law) – recognised by Bimbisāra · Ajātasattu. Ānā–attha linkage (wealth/welfare). Chakravartin / Dhammiko Dhammarājā: universal monarch, seven treasures, conquers by righteousness; analysed via Laksiri Jayasuriya & Gail Omvedt (Aśoka). Mahāpurisa idea (super-human iddhis).

Critiques – tyranny risk, lack of checks (Romila Thapar), quasi-Brahmanical ritualism (V. P. Varma).

9 | Jain Political Perspective

Key names → Somadeva · Mahāvīra · Sutrakṛtāṅga · Bhikhu Parekh

Tenets: state a “necessary evil”; king should be welfare-oriented (Somadeva).
Ahimsa, Anekāntavāda (pluralism), non-possessiveness guide law.
Sovereignty of wisdom, multi-level collaborative leadership; reasonable taxation.
Rugged individualism: self-conquest > external conquest; karma—no ritual salvation.
Theory of Relativity: graded righteousness; lay limited ahimsa.
Modern relevance: dialogic tolerance, non-violent debate, stabilising identity through openness.

10 | Kautilya / Chanakya (c. 4-th cent. BCE)

Rediscovered by R. Shamasastry; hailed by Roger Boesche, Max Weber, Hans Morgenthau.

Saptāṅga Theory

Swāmin · Amatya · Janapada · Durga · Kosha · Danda/Sena · Mitra – state as living organism.

Mandala (“circle”) Diplomacy

Vijigīṣu · Ari · Mitra · Ari-Mitra · Mitra-Mitra · Madhyama · Udāsīna – “enemy of my enemy”. Twelve-king geometry.

Policy Toolkits

Upāyas: Sama · Dāna · Bheda · Daṇḍa (conciliate → coerce).
Ṣaḍguṇya: Sandhi · Vigraha · Āsana · Yāna · Saṃśraya · Dvaidhibhāva.
Envoys (Dūta) & multi-layer spy network; counter-intelligence stressed.
Warfare modes: Mantra-, Prakāśa-, Kūṭa-, Tuṣṇīm-yuddha.

Security & Yogakṣema

Defence, internal order via Dharma, economic resilience. Anticipates non-traditional threats (famine, epidemic).

Realist yet Moral

National interest supreme, international anarchy accepted; nevertheless governance anchored in Dharma.

Modern Echoes (India) – observed by Jawaharlal Nehru et al.

Non-alignment cum power-balancing, 1971 USSR treaty, nuclear deterrent, Quad participation mirror Mandala/Upāya logic.

Comparative glances

Pair	Shared threads	Divergences
Kautilya–Plato	Elitism, functional roles, virtue	Philosopher-king vs split Brahmin/Kshatriya; Plato idealist, Kautilya pragmatic.
Kautilya–Aristotle	Organic state, contemporaneity	Aristotle probes origins, wary of wealth; Kautilya wealth-positive, operational focus.
Kautilya–Machiavelli	Realpolitik, centralised power	Kautilya demands genuine virtue; broader socio-economic canvas.

Practice Questions (Write before 4 p.m.)

Question 1. Dharmashastra presents a duty-centric worldview for individuals and communities. Comment.. [2015/10m]

Question 2. Compare and contrast the views of Kautilya and Machiavelli on statecraft.. [2015/15m]

Question 3. Do you think that the Buddhist traditions have lent greater ethical foundation to the ancient Indian political thought? Give your arguments. [2021/20m]

📌 Model answers drop this evening on the Telegram channel: https://t.me/psirbyamitpratap – keep notifications on.

See you tomorrow on Day 11. Keep practicing!

—Amit Pratap Singh & Team

A quick note on submissions of copies and mentorship

2025 Mains writers: Cohort 1 of O-AWFG kicks off 12 June and ATS on 15 June. The above practice set will serve as your revision tool, just do not miss booking your mentorship sessions for personalised feedback especially for starting tests. Come with your evaluated test copies.
2026 Mains writers – keep uploading through your usual dashboard. Act on the feedback and improve consistently.
Alternate between mini-tests (O-AWFG) and full mocks (ATS) has been designed to tackle speed, content depth, and structured revision—line-by-line evaluation pinpoints your weaknesses and errors. Follow your PSIR O-AWFG & ATS schedule and use the model answers to enrich your content, as rankers recommended based on their own success.

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