A Few Considerations on Monocracy in Ancient India

Summary

Preliminary Remarks

1. As indicated by the title, this paper does not pretend to offer an exhaustive survey of monocracy in ancient India. The limitations which had to be imposed are twofold:

1. a) It would not be possible to take into account all the sources from which data can be drawn on the subject. The situation is such that all types of Indian literature happen to casually refer to the subject. It would be a preliminary task that all these passages be duly collected and interpreted. To this should be added references from inscriptions and all available historical data (to be collected from works of foreign visitors to India, etc.). The present paper will draw its material from the classical sources of Hindu law and institutions only, i.e., from the treatises on Dharmaśāstra and Arthaśāstra and from the parallel passages of the epics dealing with these subjects.

2. b) Even within this limited range of sources, it will not be possible to enter into a discussion of all aspects of monocracy raised by the authors. On principle we shall not pay much attention to those aspects which are not directly relative to the comparative history of institutions; and amongst those that are, a selection will be made so as to lay emphasis mainly upon the great principles which underlie the whole theory of Indian monocracy.

[…]