The Nature and Grounds of Political Obligation in the Hindu State

A lucid analysis of the role of the state in Hindu thought, this work discusses how Hindus see its rulers as subservient to Dharma, regarded as the elegant conceptual framework to understand the universe and thereby also the nature of political obligation and the purpose of human activity. This work goes on to argue that the modern state’s regulation of men and institutions based on birth, power, wealth, or gender simply blocks the fulfillment of the individual’s true aspirations and the development of a harmonious society. He calls for a renewed concept of Dharma, which would allow the state, in a true democracy, to fulfill its crucial role of supporting individual human endeavor. This new edition of the original 1935 classic by the legendary Indian scholar, economist, and policymaker J. J. Anjaria carries an additional preface by the author's son and new introduction by the author's granddaughter.