Author : Mark McClish
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 309 pages
File Size : 15,68 MB
Release : 2019-07-11
Category : History
ISBN : 1108476902
By analyzing the Arthaśāstra's early history, Mark McClish overturns prevailing beliefs that ancient India was governed by religion, not politics.
Author : Mark McClish
Publisher : Cambridge University Press
Page : 307 pages
File Size : 12,98 MB
Release : 2020-09-17
Category : Political Science
ISBN : 9781108701747
The Arthaśāstra is the foundational text of Indic political thought and ancient India's most important treatise on statecraft and governance. It is traditionally believed that politics in ancient India was ruled by religion; that kings strove to fulfil their sacred duty; and that sovereignty was circumscribed by the sacred law of dharma. Mark McClish's systematic and thorough evaluation of the Arthaśāstra's early history shows that these ideas only came to prominence in the statecraft tradition late in the classical period. With a thorough chronological exploration, he demonstrates that the text originally espoused a political philosophy characterized by empiricism and pragmatism, ignoring the mandate of dharma altogether. The political theology of dharma was incorporated when the text was redacted in the late classical period, which obscured the existence of an independent political tradition in ancient India altogether and reinforced the erroneous notion that ancient India was ruled by religion, not politics.
Author : Tom Trautmann
Publisher : Penguin UK
Page : 145 pages
File Size : 12,21 MB
Release : 2016-01-15
Category : Literary Collections
ISBN : 8184756119
This book is a definitive introduction to the classic text, the Arthashastra, the world’s first manual on political economy. The 2000-year-old treatise is ascribed to Kautilya, the prime minister of King Chandragupta Maurya, and is as important to Indian thought as Machiavelli’s The Prince is to Europe. Arthashastra, or ‘the science of wealth’, is a study of economic enterprise, and advises the king-entrepreneur on how to create prosperity. Thomas Trautmann’s exploration of this seminal work illuminates its underlying economic philosophy and provides invaluable lessons for the modern age.
Author : Devdutt Pattanaik
Publisher : Harper Collins
Page : 216 pages
File Size : 24,52 MB
Release : 2021-03-19
Category : Literary Collections
ISBN : 9354224458
Artha-shastra is about generating food, i.e. wealth, by creating goods and services; Kama-shastra is about indulging our hungers with this food. Dharma-shastra insists we consider the hunger of others, while Moksha-shastra is about outgrowing our hungers, in order to be detached and generous. Together, these four Hindu shastras provide a framework within which human action, its purposes and consequences, can be defined; together, they validate human existence and give it meaning. In Dharma Artha Kama Moksha, Devdutt Pattanaik uses his unique understanding of mythology to provide an accessible and lucid guide to the Hindu way of thinking, with short essays that are crisp expositions of important concepts.
Author : Kenneth Pletcher Senior Editor, Geography and History
Publisher : The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc
Page : 343 pages
File Size : 45,79 MB
Release : 2010-08-15
Category : Juvenile Nonfiction
ISBN : 1615301224
Describes the history of India, from prehistoric civilizations and early Indian society to the Mughal empire, British occupation, and India's fight for independence.
Author : Wendy Doniger
Publisher : Yale University Press
Page : 245 pages
File Size : 45,11 MB
Release : 2018-03-20
Category : Religion
ISBN : 0300235232
An esteemed scholar of Hinduism presents a groundbreaking interpretation of ancient Indian texts and their historic influence on subversive resistance Ancient Hindu texts speak of the three aims of human life: dharma,artha, and kama. Translated, these might be called religion, politics, and pleasure, and each is held to be an essential requirement of a full life. Balance among the three is a goal not always met, however, and dharma has historically taken precedence over the other two qualities in Hindu life. Here, historian of religions Wendy Doniger offers a spirited and close reading of ancient Indian writings, unpacking a long but unrecognized history of opposition against dharma. Doniger argues that scientific disciplines (shastras) have offered lively and continuous criticism of dharma, or religion, over many centuries. She chronicles the tradition of veiled subversion, uncovers connections to key moments of resistance and voices of dissent throughout Indian history, and offers insights into the Indian theocracy’s subversion of science by religion today.
Author : A. B. Gajendragadkar
Publisher : Motilal Banarsidass Publ.
Page : 332 pages
File Size : 22,1 MB
Release : 1998-12-31
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9788120814431
The Arthasamgraha is profound in contents, scholarly in treatment and simple and lucid in style and language. It condenses great amount of matter in pregnant language. The author, Laugaksi Bhaskara, about whose personal life sufficient information is not available, probably belonged to the South and Flourished in the 14th-15th century. He wrote the text for beginners and so the language is characterized by simplicity and brevity which are maintained even in the treatment of difficult problems. The work has gained popularity among scholars and beginners both and serves well as a gateway to the system of Purva Mimamsa. The full name of the wok as given by the author in the colophon is Purvamimamsarthasamgraha which means a compendium dealing with the topics of Purva Mimamsa. The present edition comprises the Sanskrit text in Devanagari script and translation into English with profuse notes, explanatory and critical, by Professor Gajendragadkar and Karmarkar, which has proved the best on account of its merits. A new and very useful feature of this reprint is the addition of a detailed and very useful feature of this reprint is the addition of a detailed and very useful feature of this reprint is the addition of a detailed and very informative Introduction by Dr. Shiv Kumar.
Author : Shyam Ranganathan
Publisher : Motilal Banarsidass Publishe
Page : 436 pages
File Size : 45,48 MB
Release : 2007
Category : Philosophy
ISBN : 9788120831933
Ethics and the History of Indian Philosophy, by Shyam Ranganathan, presents a compelling, systematic explication of the moral philosophical content of history of Indian philosophy in contrast to the received wisdom in Indology and comparative philosophy that Indian philosophers were scarcely interested in ethics. Unlike most works on the topic, this book makes a case for the positive place of ethics in the history of Indian philosophy by drawing upon recent work in metaethics and metamorality, and by providing a through analysis of the meaning of moral concepts and PHILOSOPHY itself- in addition to explicating the texts of Indian authors. In Ranganathan`s account, Indian philosophy shines with distinct options in ethics that find their likeness in the writings of the Ancient in the West, such as Plato and the Neo-Platonists, and not in the anthropocentric or positivistic options that have dominated the recent Western tradition.
Author : Vaibhav Dadu
Publisher : Scientific Publishers
Page : 271 pages
File Size : 27,34 MB
Release : 2018-01-01
Category : Medical
ISBN : 9386102242
The textbook of the Padārtha Vijnāna and History of Āyurveda is an asset for the first year BAMS scholars as it brings to light the fundamentals of Āyurveda in a simple and easy to understand manner. The subject of Padārtha Vijnāna and History of Āyurveda is considered as the toughest subject for the scholars as proved by the results of the examinations conducted by various universities across India. So, this book becomes essential for the BAMS scholar as by reading this one book, the scholar can easily pass the BAMS first year ‘Padārtha Vijnāna and History of Āyurveda’ exam bearing 200 marks. This book is based on the current syllabus for the Padārtha Vijnāna and History of Āyurveda and covers all the topics in a lucid manner with brevity of words. This is probably the first book of its kind which has been specially designed for the scholars who find it very difficult to crack the exam in this subject. The language used is free from grammatical errors and is best suited for all categories of Āyurveda scholars. The unique scientific description of the Pramāna, Pancamahābhoota et al are forte of this book.
Author : Kautilya
Publisher : Penguin UK
Page : 832 pages
File Size : 10,54 MB
Release : 2000-10-14
Category : Literary Criticism
ISBN : 8184750110
An extraordinary detailed manual on statecraft and the science of living by one of classical India's greatest minds; Kautilya; also known as Chanakya and Vishnugupta; wrote the Arthashastra not later than 150 AD though the date has not been conclusively established. Legend has it that he was either a Brahmin from Kerala or from north India; however; it is certain that Kautilya was the man who destroyed the Nanda dynasty and installed Chandragupta Maurya as the King of Magadha. A master strategist who was well-versed in the Vedas and adept at creating intrigues and devising political stratagems; Kautilya's genius is reflected in his Arthashastra which is the most comprehensive treatise of statecraft of classical times. The text contains fifteen books which cover numerous topics viz.; the King; a complete code of law; foreign policy; secret and occult practices and so on. The Arthashastra is written mainly in prose but also incorporates 380 shlokas. Artha; literally wealth; is one of four supreme aims prescribed by Hindu tradition. However; it has a much wider significance and the material well-being of individuals is just a part of it. In accordance with this; Kautilya's Arthashastra maintains that the state or government of a country has a vital role to play in maintaining the material status of both the nation and its people. Therefore; a significant part of the Arthashastra has to do with the science of economics. When it deals with the science of politics; the Arthashastra describes in detail the art of government in its widest sense—the maintenance of law and order as also of an efficient administrative machinery.
