The course aims to familiarize students with the various intellectual traditions of the Indian sub-continent prevalent from the Vedic period to the Muslim period of rule in India. The focus of the study will be to understand the core concepts of statecraft, kingship, law and order, administration, diplomacy, foreign affairs, Justice, Governance as laid down in the important literary texts. It would also bring in the contemporary relevance of the political principles enunciated centuries ago. The course will help students to develop a critical understanding of the major themes and issues such as community, state, kinship, culture religion as perceived by different thinkers. A student would be able to understand and appreciate the 4 main streams of pre-modern Indian thought which are (a) Brahmanic tradition (b) Shramanic tradition (c) Islamic tradition and (d) Syncretic tradition.
Indian Political Thought - I
CEC and St. Xavier's College (Autonomous), Kolkata via Swayam
This course may be unavailable.
Overview
Syllabus
Week 1 :
1. Literary Sources of Ancient Indian Political thought
2. Nature of Hindu Political Thought
3. Idea of dharma
4. Idea of state and kingship
Week 2 :
5. Fundamental Concepts in Ancient Indian Political thought
6. Brahmanic tradition: Origin and features
7. Shramanic thought: Features
8. Principles of Syncretism in Hinduism and Islam
Week 3 :
9. Buddhism: Concept of Dhamma
10. Buddhist principles of statecraft
11. Origin of the State: State of Nature
12. Origin of the State: The Social Contract
Week 4 :
13. Theory of Kingship in Digha Nikaya
14. Political Philosophy in the Mahabharata
15. The Shantiparva: origin and Nature of state
16. Rajadharma In Shantiparva
Week 5 :
17. Dandaniti in Shantiparva
18. Politics Ethics and Good Governance in the Mahabharata
19. Manusmriti Introducing the text
20. Dharma in Manusmriti
Week 6 :
21. Rajdharma in Manusmriti
22. Principles of Government in Manusmriti
23. Manusmriti principles of social organization
24. Manusmriti code of laws
Week 7 :
25. Introducing Kabir
26. Kabir’s views on Socio-religious dogmas
27. Syncretism in Kabir’s Bijak : Universal humanism
28. Syncretism in Kabir’s Bijak : Monotheism and religious toleration
Week 8 :
29. Syncretism in Kabir’s Bijak : Economic inequalities, livelihood and property
30. Arthashastra: Introducing the text
31. Saptanga Theory of Kautilya
32. Kautilya's Dandaniti
Week 9 :
33. Kautilya: Diplomacy and Mandala theory
34. Kautilya: Principles of Foreign Policy
35. Arthashastra as a manual of good governance
36. Kautilya and Machiavelli : Comparison
Week 10 :
37. Medieval India: State, Society and Religion
38. Features of Islamic thought
39. The State during the Delhi Sultanate
40. Fatwa –i-Jahandari: Analysing the text
Week 11 :
41. Barani's ideas in Kingship
42. Barani: Bureaucracy, Law and Administration
43. The state during the Mughal rule
44. Abul Fazl: Kingship and Sovereignty
Week 12 :
45. Abul Fazl: Social Organization
46. Abul Fazl: Religion and State
47. Akbar’s ideas on justice and toleration
48. Abul Fazl: Administration and Governance
Taught by
Dr. Jhumpa Mukherjee
