Prathama Banerjee Chanakya-Kautilya history, philosophy, theatre and the 20th century political (original) (raw)

Rethinking Political Thinkers -Manjeet Ramgotra, Simon Choat -Oxford University Press (oup.com

Oxford University Press (London), 2023

This chapter presents the seminal work of Kautilya—Arthaśāstra. The Arthaśāstra (literally meaning ‘the science of material gain’) has been unanimously accepted not only as one of the most precious works of Sanskrit literature, but also as an ancient Indian compendium of principles and policies related to political science. The historiography of Kautilya’s Arthaśāstra has provoked a fierce debate. In addition to the unsolved controversies around its chronological origins and authorship, various scholars have differently interpreted Kautilya’s writings on the role of political morality. Kautilya’s Arthaśāstra is increasingly recognized as a valuable textual resource in today’s globalized world. This chapter draws insights from the English translations of Kautilya’s Arthaśāstra to foreground its political theory. The chapter develops in three sections. Section 4.2 unfolds the ‘philosophical foundation’ of Kautilya’s Arthaśāstra. A systematic study of this foundation clarifies the moral footing of Kautilya’s political theory. Section 4.3 unpacks the structural and functional outlook of Kautilya’s Arthaśāstra. A meticulous analysis of this outlook makes obvious how Kautilya’s political theory is eclectic, as it fuses the allegedly conflicting rational/prudential and abstract/ideal concerns in politics, thereby outdoing the prescriptions of Eurocentric realpolitik. Finally, Section 4.4 inspects the position of gender and caste in Kautilya’s political theory. In so doing, it probes the gaps between Kautilya’s theoretical plan and its practical performance.

Review Article: Changing Trajectories of Indian Political Thought

South Asia Chronicle, vol. 4

There has been a sudden expansion and interest in Indian Political Thought (hereafter IPT) and this review article seeks to map the changing trajectories of IPT. The four books under review are: Ananya Vajpeyi, Righteous Republic: The Political Foundations of Modern India. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 2012. C.A. Bayly, Recovering Liberties: Indian Thought in the Age of Liberalism and Empire. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2012. Gurpreet Mahajan, India: Political Ideas and the Making of a Democratic Discourse. London: Zed Books, 2013. Pradip Kumar Datta, Sanjay Palshikar and Achin Vanaik, eds.: Indian Political Thought: Volume 3, ICSSR Research Surveys and Explorations: Political Science, Volumes 1-4. New Delhi: Oxford University Press, 2013.

Concepts, Methods and Indian Politics: A Conversation with Sudipta Kaviraj

Studies in Indian Politics

The study of Indian politics, especially in the conventional disciplinary framework of political science, is often differentiated from what is called political theory. Indian politics, more generally, refers to the functioning of institutions (Parliament, Supreme Court, political parties) and the everydayness of political processes. On the other hand, political theory is envisaged as a sophisticated mode of thinking about certain concepts (liberty, equality, justice, secularism) and intellectual traditions (liberalism, Marxism and so on). The dominance of Eurocentric Western concepts and categories is clearly visible in such disciplinary representation of political theory as a subject. Although a section of Indian scholars has questioned this imaginary dividing line between theory (read Western!) and politics (read Indian/ empirical!) in last two decades, the study of the theoretical aspects of Indian politics has not yet been given adequate intellectual attention. 2 Sudipta Kaviraj's work is an exception in this regard. He has been engaging with the complexities of Indian politics for serious political theorization for almost five decades. Kaviraj's work recognizes the historical formation of Indian politics as a point of departure to underline the specific constitution of Indian modernity. Unlike other scholars of his generation, especially the self-declared Marxists, Kaviraj has always been critical of theoretical rigidity of any kind. This intellectual openness helps him to engage with Western intellectual traditions without compromising with his adherence to the empirically informed, historically conscious, and theoretically adventurous analysis of Indian politics. Kaviraj's work introduces us to an interesting methodological trajectory. He does not outrightly reject the value of Eurocentric/Western theoretical thinking. Instead of employing them uncritically, he asks us to locate these theoretical reflections in their immediate Western context. This contextualization of Western theories, Kaviraj argues, may help us in tracing the manner in which a particular modern experience is understood, evaluated and eventually theorized. In other words, Kaviraj is not merely interested in the act of theory; he seems to explore the mechanisms that produce theoretical reflections. Notes on Methods Note: This section is coordinated by Divya Vaid

Political Thought: Indian and Western

Book, 2022

Kautilya is a very famous ancient philosopher who is always known as in the name of Chanakya and Vishnugupata. Although he belonged to 4 th Century BC, but his philosophy of governance of state is still followed by the modern political rulers. He possessed very rare qualities in the field of Indian social, political, military and economy. Due to his intelligence and farsighted knowledge he could able to make Chandragupta Maurya as the great emperor and thereby proved himself as the great nation builder. Chanakya never supported an autocrat ruler rather he always advised the ruler to govern the state in ethical and moral principles while delivering justice to the people. It is very often described that Chanakya was just like Indian Machiavelli particularly in the 20 th Century when India got independence. This statement was also supported by Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minster of India, who categorically mentioned in his "Discovery of India" and argued that a lot of Kautilya's thought are based on the philosophy of realism and it is highly appropriate to modern nation also. In this context, the main purpose of this article is to explore and critically analyse the genius of Kautilya and try to understand the contemporary relevance of his ideas. Kautilya was a Brahmin. There is no unanimity among the scholars regarding the period of birth of Kautilya. However, it is mostly believed that Kautilya was born in Takshila which is now in Pakistan. It is also seen that most scholars believe that Kautilya lived in between 400 B.C. to 320 B.C. The father of Kautilya was a devotee of Lord Vishnu and in affection he gave the name of his son as Vishnugupta. It is also said that though he belonged to "Kutala"