WELCOME

to

Open Elective
Course Code : U15ENOE09
Course Name: INDIAN GOVERNMENT and POLITICS
Faculty : Pitchaimuthu . K (Mobile: 98941 88812 )
email: Pitchaimuthu.k.hed@kct.ac.in
Time : Wednesday & Thursday 5.00 pm to 6.30 pm
Indian Government and Politics
Unit.1 : Political Theory and Indian Politics:

 Political Theory : Meaning and Approaches

 Theories of the State

 Justice, Equality, Rights, Democracy

 Political Ideologies

 Indian Political Thought

 Meaning
Political Science:
The branch of knowledge that deals with the state and systems of
government; the scientific analysis of political activity and
behaviour.
Political Theory:
Political theory is the study of the concepts and principles that
people use to describe, explain, and evaluate political events and
institution.
Political Thought:
It is the study of questions concerning power, justice, rights, law,
and other issues pertaining to governance.
 Approaches of political theory:
Traditional approaches:
 Traditional approaches are value based.
 These approaches put emphasis on values more than facts.

Characteristics of Traditional approaches:

 Traditional approaches are largely normative and stresses on the values of
politics.
 Emphasis is on the study of different political structures.
 Traditional approaches made very little attempt to relate theory and
research.
 These approaches believe that since facts and values are closely interlinked,
studies in Political Science can never be scientific.

https://www.civilserviceindia.com/subject/Political-Science/notes/political-
theory-meaning-and-approaches.html
 Different types of traditional approaches:
Philosophical Approach:
 This approach is considered as the oldest approach in the arena of Political
Science. The development of this approach can be traced back to the times of
the Greek philosophers like Plato and Aristotle. Leo Strauss was one of the
main supporter of the philosophical approach.

 The aim of this approach is to evolve the standard of right and wrong, for the
purpose of critical evaluation of existing institutions, laws and polices.

 This approach is based on the theoretical principle that the values cannot be
separated from the study of politics.

 Therefore, its main concern is to judge what is good or bad in any political
society. It is mainly an ethical and normative study of politics and, thus,
idealistic. It addresses the problems of the nature and functions of the state,
citizenship, rights and duties etc.
 Different types of traditional approaches:
Historical Approach:
 This approach is related to history and it emphasizes on the study of history of
every political reality to analyse any situation.

 Political thinkers such as Machiavelli, Sabine and Dunning considered that

politics and history are closely related and the study of politics always should
have a historical standpoint.

 This approach strongly maintains the belief that the thinking or the dogma of
every political thinker is formed by the surrounding environment.

 Furthermore, history provide details of the past as well as it also links it with
the present events. History gives the chronological order of every political
event and thereby helps in future estimation of events also.

 Therefore, without studying the past political events, institutions and political
environment it would be erroneous to analyse the present political events.
 Different types of traditional approaches:
Institutional Approach:
 This approach primarily deals with the formal features of government and
politics accentuates the study of the political institutions and structures.

 Therefore, the institutional approach is concerned with the study of the formal
structures like legislature, executive, judiciary, political parties, and interest
groups.

 The supporters of this approach includes both ancient and modern political
philosophers.

 Among the ancient thinkers, Aristotle had significant role in shaping this
approach while the modern thinkers include James Bryce, Bentley, Walter
Bagehot, Harold Laski contributed to develop this approach.
 Different types of traditional approaches:
Legal Approach:
 This approach concerns that the state is the fundamental organization for the
formation and enforcement of laws. Therefore, this approach is concerned
with the legal process, legal bodies or institutions, justice and independence of
judiciary.

 The supporters of this approach are Cicero, Jean Bodin, Thomas Hobbes,
Jeremy Bentham, John Austin, Dicey and Sir Henry Maine.

 The various traditional approaches to the study of Political Science have been
disapproved for being normative. These approaches were principled also as
their concern went beyond how and why political events happen to what ought
to happen.

 In the later period, the modern approaches have made an attempt to make the
study of Political Science more scientific and, therefore, emphasize
pragmatism.
 Modern approaches:
 They lay emphasis on factual study of political events and try to arrive at
scientific and definite conclusion.
 The aim of modern approaches is to replace normativism with empiricism.
 Modern approaches are marked by empirical investigation of relevant data.

Characteristics of Modern Approaches:

 These approaches try to draw conclusion from empirical data.
 These approaches go beyond the study of political structures and its
historical analysis.
 Modern Approaches believe in inter-disciplinary study.
 They emphasize scientific methods of study and attempt to draw
scientific conclusions in Political Science.
 Different types of Modern approaches:
Sociological approach:
Political science and sociology both are social sciences and in several places
they overlay. The fields of sociological studies are human behaviour including
the political behaviour, group behaviour and attitude of group, culture, society.
All these fall within the study area of political science.

Scholars of politics are fully aware of political culture which is composed of the
attitudes, beliefs, emotions and values of society that relate to the political
system and its political issues. So far as culture is concerned, it is the subject
matter of both sociology and political science.

Policy creations and legislations depend upon the sociological studies.

Sociologist's studies on on crime, divorce, juvenile delinquency, conditions of
slum and urbanisation give inputs to the government and legislators.

Most famous thinkers are MacIver, Easton. Almond recognized the important
fact in this approach that ample date is available in the field of sociology so as to
lay down certain empirical rules of political behaviour.
 Different types of Modern approaches:
Psychological approach:
There is a strong link between politics and psychology. Psychologists usually study the
political behaviour of individuals and factors leading to such behaviour. They also study why
certain individuals behave in a certain way. In simple form, psychology studies the
behaviour, attitude of the voter and after studying various aspects, the researchers draw
conclusions which very often serve the purpose of political leaders.

Aristotle stated that man is by nature a social animal and his sociability is the prime reason
of the emergence of political organisation which is called state. Psychology of man is that
man wants to live with others.

Hobbes' political philosophy is based, to a considerable extent, upon psychological factors.

According to Locke, people strongly desired to have freedom and right and to that end
they build up a civil society.

Utilitarian philosopher, Bentham studied well the psychology of the middle class people
who sought to maximise their happiness.
Economic approach: Different types of Modern approaches:
 Economics and politics are vital arenas of social science and in several respects they are closely
related. When evaluating the economic approaches, it is established that the policy formulations of
economic nature and determination of the principles of planning which has recently become a part
of the governmental activity are done by the government.

 Fiscal policies, industrial policy, agricultural policy, labour policy are all economic issues, but the
foremost actors are the members of the government. It is well recognized that the impact of success
and failure of the economic policies depend upon the government. So discussion of politics cannot
be successful without economics.

 The greatest attribution of the economic approach to the study of politics emanates from the
writings of Marx and Engels. The principle of class struggle, increasing impoverishment and
capitalism's exploitation are based on economic factors. Marx and Engels have highlighted the
heterogeneity of interests between the classes. Classes are formed on the basis of economic
interests.

 Marx stated that politics is controlled by the persons who own sources of production and manage
the process of distribution. Outside economic influence, politics has no independent authority.
Possibly, Marx is the only philosopher who has vehemently argued the relationship between the two
important subjects of social science.
 Different types of Modern approaches:
Quantitative approach:
 This approach is also known as statistical approach. It is described as the use of
numerical data so as to impart exactitude to the process of describing and analysing
political phenomenon. Mere descriptive or prescriptive analysis is not enough.

 The subscribers to this approach demonstrate that there is a safety in numbers and
researchers have to prove scientifically the validity of a proposition by making use of
graph, table, and charts.

 Many writers use this approach in comparative politics such as Gallup, Charls Merriam,
Harold Gosnell, and Lubell. They have developed sophisticated way to study electoral
behaviour of people.

 It is said that this approach does not require any especial thematic expertise. It
requires the habit of exposing in numerical terms every generalization to simple test
relating to the number of people and their way of doing in some political activity.
 Different types of Modern approaches:
System approach:
 This approach falls in the category of modern approach. The notion of Systems Theory
was emerged from ancient time, dates back to 1920s. Ludwig Von Bertallanfy is
considered as the earliest advocate of the general systems theory.

 This approach signified that a political system

operates within the social environment.
Consequently, it is not possible to analyse
political events in isolation from other aspects
of the society. To put in other way, influences
from the society, be it economic, religious or
otherwise, do shape the political process.
 Different types of Modern approaches:
Simulation approach:
 The facts of this approaches are borrowed by political scientists from natural science as well
as from cybernetics and mathematics. Simulation means the study with help of image
construction or model building. Such facts are used in political communication, decision
making and game theory.

 The political communication approach formulated by Karl Deutsch lays emphasis on how
one part of the system affects another by sending messages or transmitting information.
According to this approach, politics and government appear in essence as processes of
steering and coordinating human efforts towards the attainment of some goals
 Decision Making Approach is another example of simulation approach. Decision making
approach explores the attributes of decision makers as well as the type of influence the
individuals have on the decision makers. Scholars like Richard Synder and Charles Lindblom
have developed this approach.

 A political decision which is taken by a few political players influences a bigger society and
such a decision is generally shaped by a specific situation. Therefore, it takes into account
psychological and social aspects of decision makers also.
 Different types of Modern approaches:
Behavioural approach:
Behaviouralism is considered as contemporary approach to the study of political science.
But this approach was emerged during 20th century. An important consideration of
Behaviouralism has been the study of political behaviour, as an area of study within
Political Science.

It concentrates is on the individual as voter, leader, revolutionary, party member and the
influences of the group or the political system on the individual's political behaviour.

Behviouralism stresses scientific, objective and value-free study of the political

occurrences as conditioned by the environment, firmly the behaviour of the individuals
involved in that phenomena.

As such, it focuses on the role of the behaviour of the individual at various levels and the
scientific analysis. Behaviouralism is the development of method against traditional
political science which did not take into account if human behaviour as an actor in
politics.
 Different types of Modern approaches:
Marxian approach:
 Marxian approach to politics is not limited to the writings of Marx, Engels and
Lenin but all those of a congregation of later writers such as Luxemburg, Trotsky,
Gramsci and many others.
 Further, an explicitly 'political' treatise cannot be found in the whole range of
classical Marxist texts. Miliband indicated that "a Marxist politics had to be
constructed or reconstructed from the mass of variegated and fragmented
material which forms the corpus of Marxism.“
 It is well recognized that Marx put more emphasis on the materialistic or
economic interpretation of history. He stated that the capitalists by controlling
the means of production and distribution also controlled not only the political
but social and economic structure of the society as well.
 He stressed economic aspect of life. According to him, every other activity in the
society revolved round economics. All social and political activities are based on
economic activity.
 Different types of Modern approaches:
Structural functional approach:
 According to this approach, the society is a single inter-related system where
each part of the system has a definite and distinct role to play. The structural-
functional approach may be considered as an offshoot of the system analysis.

 These approaches accentuate the structures and functions. Gabriel Almond was
an advocate of this approach. He described political systems as a special system
of interaction that exists in all societies performing certain functions.

 The Input functions of political systems are political socialization and

recruitment, interest-articulation, interest-aggression and political
communication.

 Almond makes three-fold classifications of governmental output functions

relating to policy making and implementation. These output functions are rule
making, rule application and rule adjudication.
 Different types of Modern approaches:
Communication Theory Approach:
 This approach examines how one segment of a system affects another by sending
messages or information. Robert Weiner first defined this approach.

 Later on, Karl Deutsch developed it and applied it in Political Science. Deutsch believes
that the political system is a system of communication channels and it is self-
regulative.

 He further stated that the government is responsible for overseeing different

communication channels.

 This approach treats the government as the decision making system. According to
Deutsch, the four factors of analysis in communication theory are; lead, lag, gain and
load.
 Theories of the State
Definition of a State:
(1) A permanent population, a defined territory and a
government that is capable of maintaining effective control
over the corresponding territory and of conducting
International relations with other states.

(2) The state as a compulsory political organization with a

centralized government that maintains a monopoly of the
legitimate use of force within a certain territory.
Online source:
http://www.politicalsciencenotes.com/essay/state/theories-on-the-origin-of-state-essay-theories-
political-science/1513
Divine Origin Theory of State
 Genesis - History - Decline - Criticism

 The oldest theory about the origin of the state is the divine origin
theory.
 The King who rules over the state is an agent of God on earth.
 The King derives his authority from God and for all his actions he is
responsible to God alone.
 Obedience to the King is ordained to God and violation of it will be a sin.
 The King is above law and no subject has any right to question his
authority.
 The King is responsible of God alone.
 Patriarchal Theory of State
 The head or father of the patriarchal family wielded great power and influence upon
the other members of the family. His writ was carried out in the household. This
patriarchal family was the most ancient organised social institution in the primitive
society.

 Sir Henry Maine’s analysis of the growth of the state is- “The elementary group is the
family connected by the common subjection to the highest male ascendant. The
aggregation of families forms the gens or the houses. The aggregation of houses
makes the tribe. The aggregation of the tribes constitutes the commonwealth.”

 Edward Jenks who is the other advocate of the patriarchal theory is of the view that
the foundation of the state was caused by three factors, namely male kinship,
permanent marriages and paternal authority. Thus, the salient feature of the
patriarchal theory is that the families grew through the descendants of the father,
not the mother.
 Matriarchal Theory of State
 The chief exponents of the matriarchal theory are Morgan, McLennan and Edward Jenks.
According to them, there was never any patriarchal family in the primitive society and
that the patriarchal family came into existence only when the institution of permanent
marriage was in vogue.

 But among the primitive society, instead of permanent marriage there was a sort of sex
anarchy. Under that condition, the mother rather than the father was the head of the
family. The kinship was established through the mother.

 Edward Jenks who made a thorough study of the tribes of Australia came to the
conclusion that the Australian tribes were organised in some sort of tribes known as
totem groups. Their affinity was not on the basis of blood relationship but through some
symbols like tree or animal. One totem group men were to marry all the women of
another totem group. This would lead to polyandry and polygamy also.
Force Theory of State

 The exponents of this theory hold that wars and aggressions by some powerful tribe
were the principal factors in the creation of the state.

 They rely on the oft-quoted saying “war begot the King” as the historical explanation
of the origin of the state.

 The force or might prevailed over the right in the primitive society. A man physically
stronger established his authority over the less strong persons. The strongest person
in a tribe is, therefore, made the chief or leader of that tribe.

 After establishing the state by subjugating the other people in that place the chief
used his authority in maintaining law and order and defending the state from the
aggression from outside. Thus force was responsible not only for the origin of the
state but for development of the state also.
Historical or Evolutionary Theory of State

Apart from the influences of physical environment and geographical

conditions, there are five important factors which made men to
aggregate at different places and separated one group from another,
thereby paving the way for the rise and growth of the State.

These important factors are:

1. Kinship
2. Religion
3. Property and defense
4. Force
5. Political consciousness
Social Contract Theory

 The most famous theory with regard to the origin of the state is the social contract
theory. The theory goes to tell that the stale came into existence out of a contract
between the people and the sovereign at some point of time.

 According to this theory, there were two divisions in human history – one period is prior
to the establishment of the state called the “state of nature” and the other period is one
subsequent to the foundation of the state called the “civil society”.

 The state of nature was bereft of society, government and political authority. There was
no law to regulate the relations of the people in the state of nature.

 The net result of this changeover was that the people gained security of life and property
and social security, but lost the natural liberty which they had been enjoying in the state
of nature.
 Justice
Theories of distributive justice
Social justice
what goods are to be distributed – wealth, respect, opportunity – and who or
what they are to be distributed equally among – individuals, families, nations,
races, species.
Mixed theories
Suggested that we have a moral obligation to punish greater crimes more than
lesser ones. However, so long as we adhere to that constraint then utilitarian
ideals would play a significant secondary role.
Mixed theories
Suggested that we have a moral obligation to punish greater crimes more than
lesser ones. However, so long as we adhere to that constraint then utilitarian
ideals would play a significant secondary role.
Theories of retributive justice
Utilitarianism
According to the utilitarian, justice requires the maximization of the total or
average welfare across all relevant individuals.
Retributivism
The retributivist will think consequentialism is mistaken. If someone does
something wrong we must respond by punishing for the committed action
itself, regardless of what outcomes punishment produces.
Restorative justice
Restorative justice is an approach to justice that focuses on the needs of
victims and offenders, instead of satisfying abstract legal principles or
punishing the offender.
Mixed theories
Suggested that we have a moral obligation to punish greater crimes more than
lesser ones. However, so long as we adhere to that constraint then utilitarian
ideals would play a significant secondary role.
 Equality
Social equality, in which all people within a group have the same status
Economic equality, a form of social justice
Egalitarianism, a trend of thought that favors equality for all people
Equal opportunity, a stipulation that all people should be treated similarly
Equality before the law, the principle under which all people are subject to the
same laws
Equality of outcome, in which the general economic conditions of people's lives
are similar
For specific groups:
 Gender equality
 Racial equality
Consociationalism, in which an ethnically, religiously, or linguistically divided state
functions by cooperation of each group's elites
 Rights
Natural rights are rights which are "natural" in the sense of "not artificial, not man-made", as
in rights deriving from human nature or from the edicts of a god. They are universal; that is,
they apply to all people, and do not derive from the laws of any specific society. They exist
necessarily, inhere in every individual, and can't be taken away. For example, it has been
argued that humans have a natural right to life. These are sometimes called moral rights or
inalienable rights.
Legal rights, in contrast, are based on a society's customs, laws, statutes or actions by
legislatures. An example of a legal right is the right to vote of citizens. Citizenship, itself, is
often considered as the basis for having legal rights, and has been defined as the "right to
have rights". Legal rights are sometimes called civil rights or statutory rights and are culturally
and politically relative since they depend on a specific societal context to have meaning.
Democracy
A system of government by the whole population or all the eligible members of
a state, typically through elected representatives.
The uncertainty of outcomes is inherent in democracy, which makes all forces
struggle repeatedly for the realization of their interests, being the devolution of
power from a group of people to a set of rules.

According to political scientist Larry Diamond, democracy consists of four key

elements:
(a) A political system for choosing and replacing the government through free
and fair elections;
(b) The active participation of the people, as citizens, in politics and civic life;
(c) Protection of the human rights of all citizens, and
(d) A rule of law, in which the laws and procedures apply equally to all citizens.
Quotes on Democracy

Government Of The People, By The People, And For The People

Abraham Lincoln Gettysburg Address

To give victory to the right, not bloody bullets, but peaceful ballots only, are
necessary - Abraham Lincoln speech

My notion of democracy is that under it the weakest should have the same
opportunity as the strongest – Gandhi - Non-Violence in Peace and War

Democracy ... is a charming form of government, full of variety and disorder, and
dispensing a sort of equality to equals and unequal alike - Plato - The Republic

Man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible; but man's inclination to
injustice makes democracy necessary –
Reinhold Niebuhr The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness
Quotes on Democracy
Democracy is the superior form of government, because it is based on a respect
for man as a reasonable being. John F. Kennedy Why England Slept

Democracy is the name we give the people whenever we need them

Robert, Marquis de Flers and Arman de Caillavet L'habit vert

Democracy substitutes election by the incompetent many for appointment by

the corrupt few. George Bernard Shaw Man and Superman

All the ills of democracy can be cured by more democracy.

Alfred Emanuel Smith

Democracy means government by the uneducated, while aristocracy means

government by the badly educated. G.K. Chesterton New York Times

“Democracy is a power of majority which respects minority.”

Principles of Democracy

 Citizen Participation.
 Equality.
 Political Tolerance.
 Accountability.
 Transparency.
 Regular, Free and Fair Elections.
 Economic Freedom.
 Control of the Abuse of Power.
Types of Democracy
1. Direct Democracy
Under this system the people take direct in the affairs of the state. The people
themselves are the rulers and they are the ruled at the same time. They themselves
make the laws, enforce them and decide cases according to these laws. Such a
democracy existed in City States of ancient Greece and Rome. Some practices of direct
democracy are still observed in Switzerland and in some states of the USA.

2. Indirect or Representative Democracy

After the creation of large nation states, it became impossible for all the people
directly to participate in the affairs of the state. Under this form of government the
people elect a small number of representatives or delegation and give them the
authority to run the government. Since the people rule through these representatives,
we give the system the name of indirect or representative democracy. Today in almost
all the countries of the world there is indirect or representative democracy.
Forms of democracy:
3. Presidential democracy
Under a presidential democracy, the president of a state has a significant amount
of power over the government. He/she is either directly or indirectly elected by
citizens of the state. The president and the executive branch of the government
are not liable to the legislature, but cannot, under normal circumstances, dismiss
the legislature entirely. Similarly, the legislature cannot remove the president from
his/her office either, unless the case is extreme. In a presidential democracy, the
head of state is also the head of the government. Countries like the USA,
Argentina, and Sudan employ this kind of democracy.
4. Parliamentary democracy
A democracy that gives more power to the legislature is called a parliamentary
democracy. The executive branch derives its democratic legitimacy only from the
legislature, i.e. the parliament. The head of state is different from the head of
government, and both have varying degrees of power. However, in most cases, the
president is either a weak monarch (e.g. the United Kingdom) or a ceremonial
head (e.g. India).
5. Authoritarian democracy
This is when only the elites are a part of the parliamentary process. The individuals of
the state are allowed to vote for their chosen candidate, but “regular people” cannot
enter the elections. Therefore, in the end, it is only the ruling elite that decide on the
various interests of the state’s population. Modern-day Russia under Vladimir Putin is
a classic example of this type of governance. Even Hong Kong generally falls under the
same category.
6. Participatory democracy
There are different types of participatory democracy, but all of them yearn to create
opportunities for all members of a population to make meaningful contributions to
the decision-making process. It empowers the dis-empowered by breaking up the
state into small networks and prefers to empower community-based grassroots
politics. It values deliberation and discussion, rather than merely voting.
Today, no country actively practices this form of democracy. Although the theories
behind it are sound, the real-life application of this approach is fraught with
complications.
7. Islamic democracy
This form of democracy seeks to apply Islamic law to public policies, while
simultaneously maintaining a democratic framework. Islamic democracy has three main
characteristics. Firstly, the leaders are elected by the people. Secondly, everyone is
subject to the Sharia law – including the leaders. Thirdly, the leaders must commit to
practicing ‘shura’, a special form of consultation practiced by Prophet Muhammad. The
only countries that fulfill these three characteristics are Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and
Malaysia. Other Islamic countries, such as Saudi Arabia, fit the bill of authoritarian
regimes better than that of democracies.
8. Social democracy
Social Democracy arose as a reaction to neoliberal policies in international economics.
Under neoliberalism, profit-making entities like multinational corporations can easily
infiltrate other political states. They maintain a level of sovereignty and mobility that no
government can counter. Social Democracy aims at empowering the state over the mere
whims of the neoliberal market. It may focus on providing free education or free
healthcare, so that people don’t have to depend on profit-making corporations.
 Anarchism
Socialism Absolutism

Nationalism

Political
Ideologies Communism

9
Liberalism

Conservatism
Environment
Fascism
alism
Anarchism
Anarchism is anti-state, asserting that all hierarchical power structures are
corrupt. Anarchism is similar to Communism in the desirability of the
destruction of the state and socioeconomic classes--the difference, however,
is that there is no temporary 'lower stage', or Dictatorship of the Proletariat.

Absolutism
A form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not
restricted by a constitution or laws).
Communism
Communism is a temporary dictatorship of the proletariat. Original Marxist
Communism states that the Proletariat consists of the ENTIRE working class,
as opposed to just one person. This dictatorship is only temporary as it is to
ensure the destruction of currency, capital, and multiple classes.
Conservatism
Conservatism emerged in response to the rise of liberalism and the liberal
challenge to absolutism and social hierarchy based on privilege. Conservatism
emphasized a 'natural order' based on tradition and slow evolutionary change.

Environmentalism
Environmentalism (or ecologism) is an ideology which rejects the human-
centered core of other political theories, and emphasizes instead the priorities
of the planet Earth. It sees humanity as only one part of an interrelated web of
life, which incorporates the living planet itself.

Fascism
Fascism emerged in the context of post-World War I economic difficulties and
social crisis and articulated a rejection of liberalism and parliamentary rule as
'failures'. It also articulated a rejection of communism as a further direct threat to
the middle class groups.
Liberalism
Liberalism first developed a welfare agenda in response to the rampant social inequality and
misery that emerged in the wake of the industrial revolution and in response to the
articulation of rival ideologies such as socialism.

Nationalism
Nationalism is a belief, creed or political ideology that involves an individual identifying
with, or becoming attached to, one's nation. Nationalism involves national identity, by
contrast with the related construct of patriotism, which involves the social conditioning and
personal behaviors that support a state's decisions and actions.

Socialism
Socialism is concerned with welfare of the people, and as such is concerned with providing
healthcare and education and the provision of other necessities of a healthy life in order to
create a more 'level' society.
 Dharma
shastra

M.N. Roy Artha

shastra

Indian
B.R. Buddhist
Ambedkar Political traditions
Thought

Sir Syed
M.K. Ahmed
Gandhi Sri Khan
Aurobindo
Dharmasastra
Dharmasastra is a genus of Sanskrit texts, and refers to the treatises (shastras) of
Hinduism on Dharma. The Dharmashastras are the ancient law books of Hindus,
which advocate moral laws and principles for devout duty and righteous conduct
for the followers of the faith. They also shaped the guidelines for their social and
religious code of conduct Hindus in the past where Hindu monarchs enforced the
laws as part of their religious duty.

Artha shastra
Kautilya's Arthasashtra is magnificent work on ancient political thought which was
undoubtedly composed between 3rd-2nd Century B.C. Kautilya was the great
Prime Minister of Chandragupta Maurya. Kautilya's Arthashastra is mainly a work
on the art of government.
Buddhist traditions
Buddhist spirituality promotes a form of life that provides an antidote to the stresses
of modern living. As a counterpoint to the haste and hurry, the noise and confusion of
this world, Buddhism prescribes a life of quietness and tranquillity, a life of
contemplation and gentle awareness.

Sir Syed Ahmed Khan

He is recognized by historians as one of the earliest supporters of the Two-Nation
Theory that Hindus and Muslims were distinct and incompatible nations. Historians
debated that Sir Syed was emotionally incapable to accept the prospect that an
independent India's Hindu-majority would come to rule Muslims, who had been the
former colonial rulers. He also dreaded that Hindu culture would weaken the Perso-
Arabic nature of Muslim culture, which had enjoyed a dominant status under Muslim
rulers for centuries.
Sri Aurobindo
It can be assessed that in his political thought, Sri Aurobindo had forwarded a vivid
theory of nation and nationalism and a methodology for achieving it. Basically, Sri
Aurobindo was not a theorist, but a yogi. he was the innovator of the supra mental.
In the first part of his life, he was a forecaster of Indian nationalism, and in the
second half of his life, he was a developer of the supra mental.
M.K. Gandhi
While dealing with the political philosophy of Gandhi, it is well established that
Gandhi was basically religious as well as the ethical personality. He upheld highest
moral standards in politics. As the most crucial strategist in politics, he developed
the political methods and campaigned the movements to capture the state's power
through the prolonged mass movement. Gandhi avowed on politics that, "For me
there is no politics without religion not the religion of the superstitious and the
blind, religion that hates and fights, but the universal religion of toleration. Politics
without morality is a thing to avoid."
B.R. Ambedkar
He strongly suggested democracy as the 'governing principle of human relationship'
but stressed that principles of equality, liberty and fraternity which are the
foundations of democracy should not be interpreted narrowly in terms of the political
rights alone. He emphasised the social and economic dimensions of democracy and
warned that political democracy cannot thrive when there is no social and economic
democracy. He gave an expression to the objective of economic democracy by
corporating the Directive Principles of State Policy in the Indian Constitution.

M.N. Roy
He was prominent Indian philosopher of a twentieth century. He was famous as the
Father of Indian communism and viewed as the first revolutionary leader of India. He
started his career as a militant political activist and left India in 1915 in search of arms for
organizing an insurgence against British rule in India. M. N. Roy was definitely the most
scholarly of modern Indian political philosophers.