Vedic and Aryan India : Evolution of Political, Legal and Military Systems

Contents : Preface. Hindu names and Titles. Place-names and geographical terms. Systems of dating. 1. Introductory. 2. The Vedic age. 3. Epochs of Ancient Indian history. 4. Population in Ancient India. 5. Aryan expansion in the post Rigvedic period. 6. Polity of Ancient India. I. Appex and distributories of political power. II. Ancient South Indian polity. 7. Law in Ancient India. I. Conception of law in Ancient India. II. Ethico-juristic conceptions in Ancient India and the Austinian doctrine. 8. Legal literature of Ancient India. 9. Government and laws of Ancient India. 10. Royal power in Ancient India. 11. The Yuvaraja in Ancient India. 12. Kingship and republics in Ancient India. 13. The judiciary and judicial process in Ancient India. I. An Ancient Indian court in session. II. Judicial procedure in Ancient India. III. Tribal by Jury in Ancient India. 14. Local self-Government in Ancient India. 15. Aspects of Ancient Indian society. I. Manners and civilization. II. Ancient society as revealed in the Dharmasutras. III. Religion and religious practices. 16. The role of gambling in Ancient Indian society. 17. International law and conduct in Ancient India. 18. Administration of justice to Aliens in Ancient India. 19. Kautilya and Machiavelli. 20. Game of the science of war. I. The game of chess. II. Chess originated in Moenjodaro. 21. Art of war in Ancient India. Bibliography. Index.

"Until lately history has suffered at the hands of historians old and new, both in Asia and Europe, from a rather isolated and narrow conception of its scope. The old court chronicles confined themselves to kings and their battles without assessing their impact on the life of the rulers and contestants and thus turned history into ‘a mere record of butchery of men by their fellow men’. Now ‘it is perceived that history is not an isolated subject of study but is one of a group of kindred studies which together make up the general science of society’. Moreover a study of actions and interactions of various branches of history e.g. political, legal, economic, social, religious, cultural and military only is capable of revealing the real conditions of a particular age, country or people.

"In this and to follow related classic works, the learned author has taken an extended and modern all-comprehensive view of the objectives and functions of history. He has not restricted his vision while carrying out historical investigation but has brought out authentic researches on Indian history for getting at the truth in a scientific manner. He has treated the present integrated and unique historical work as ‘a record of causes and consequences of passions of body and soul of masses of men and women of India’ and thus made it an indispensable reference treatise.

"This book starts with the ‘Deluge’ (Floods) and in India, Manu who survived the Flood is looked upon as a man, the progenitor of a race that ruled in India. Ancient history is divided into five distinct epochs with interesting details of each epoch. Population in ancient India, and the Aryan expansion in the post-Rigvedic period, polity and conception of law, legal literature and judiciary, government and administration, kingship and republics, local self-government and panchayats, international law and justice to aliens, Kautilya and Machiavelli, origin of chess and art and science of war in ancient India are some of the several important subjects systematically and authoritatively dealt with in this book and the related works which provide a brilliant composite and integrated civil and military account of ancient, medieval and modern India". (jacket)