Date/Time
Date(s) - 20/05/2025
12:00 am
Location
Seminar Hall
Categories
National Seminar on:
“Geographical Contours of Political and Economic Dynamics in Ancient India”
at IIAS
on 24-25 May 2025
Concept note:
Indian civilization and various dimensions of Hindu culture deal with religions, philosophies, literature, arts, Social Sciences, Mathematics, Astronomy and Sciences of India from the twilight glorious past to the present day. India has achieved a lot in assimilating, adapting and synthesizing diverse and even conflicting points of view and has always demonstrated a consistent striving for reconciliation i.e. Samanavya. No doubt, there have been changes in cultural patterns yet different environments and variety of local and historical traditions have not altered the basic continuity of Indian culture (sanatan) during last several thousand years.
The belief of the immanence of the Supreme being in every animate entity (pranimatr), leading to a realization of the dignity of each individual is the message of Indian culture. Neither sheer individualism nor sheer collectivism can solve the problems faced by humanity today, as conveyed by Ramayana and Mahabharata. Great mental expressions, continuous pursuit of knowledge, immense materialistic prosperity and new political outlooks clearly evolved the idea that Bharat, in spite of his various kingdoms, races, languages and creeds was essentially one i.e. Unity in diversity. This fundamental unity is mentioned in several passages of the Mahabharata. The Kurma and Vayu Puranas describe Bharatvarsa’s unity in spite of diversities of race and culture. The Hindu concept of life expressed in terms of Purusharthas: Dharam-Arth-KamMoksh originated much earlier, is clearly reflected in all spheres of knowledge be it Arts, Social Sciences, Humanities and Sciences. Dharma as the main caveat of all human activities whether diplomatic, political, economic or social and also the chief architect of human life, is the underlying objective of the Ramayana. The Mahabharata depicts not only a picture of conflicts of human motives and human attributes but a repository of comprehensive secular and religious learning. It is a great poem as well as manual of ethics, diplomacy, politics and several other branches of knowledge such as Economics, sociology, Geography, Jurisprudence, etc.The Manu Dharm Shastra provides detailed guidelines regarding social life and its rules.
Kautilya’s Arthasastra, Shukra’s Shukraniti and several other Sastras prove that both practical and theoretical problems and issues of Economics and Politics were closely and minutely analyzed and studied by our ancient seers. Society was viewed as indivisible and on the reconciliation of duties of individuals, classes or institutions, the harmony of the whole creation was held to depend. Life was considered a continuum, not interrupted by death and so were deed(karmas) and thought.
Alongwith the development of literature, architecture, ethics, Varta, polity and several other branches of knowledge in North India there was a parallel evolution in the Dravida region in notable works like Kural and the literary output of the Sangam period. Much of Sutra texts, were prevalent in Ancient India, even before Panini in fourth century BC. From Puranaproktesu Brahmana-kalpesu, it is evident that Brahmanas and Kalpa sutras were considered as very ancient and a larger portion of Sutra work is perished. Dharma sutra quotes several teachers and Rishis such as Kanva, Kunka, Kantsa, Harita, Varsyayani, Puskarasadi, Aupajanghani, Kayapa and others. Many other Rishi teachers and scholars are mentioned in Nirukta and the Brahaddevata.
Kautilya Arthasastra is said to be compiled from all Arth-Sastras composed by previous teachers. Kautilya quotes the views of various schools such as the Mnavas, the Barhaspatyas, the Ausanasas, the Parasaras and the Ambhiyas as well as those of individual authors like Visalaksa, Parasara, Vatavyadhi, Bharadvaja, Pisuna, Bahudantiputra, Kaunapedanta and others. The Shantiparva of Mahabharata denoting a larger portion to Rajdharm (Political Science) and Arth(wealth generation and protection) mentions certain earlier teachers like Brihaspati, Visalaksa, Bhardwaja, Pracetasa Manu, Indra, Kavya(Usanas) and Gaurasiras and also refers to several earlier treatises on Niti sara or Dandniti like Vaisalaksa, Bahudantaka, Barhaspatya and Usanas. Similarity in the names of ancient teachers(Rishis) in Mahabharata and Kautilya Arthasastra indicates a long tradition of Artha-sastra literature in early classical Sanskrit. The Shantiparva of Mahabharata and Arthasastra both mention Varta and Dandniti together. First one refers to science of agriculture, trade, commerce, animal rearing etc. while another one refers to the science of Government and both become important branches of study. As Swami Vivekananda declares ‘In fact, the Ramayana and Mahabharata are the two encyclopedias of the ancient Aryan life and wisdom, portraying an ideal civilization, which humanity has yet to aspire after’.
There are concepts of public share in state affairs, military equipment, efficiency, prosperity of the state, royal patronage, service rendered by forest people, social welfare etc. in Ramayana. Next to Rigveda Samhita, the Mahabharata is the most remarkable work in Sanskrit literature. Since the commencement of the sixth century AD, it is known to consist 100000 verses, about eight times the size of the Iliad and the Odyssay put together. It is an authoritative book of law, morality, social, economic and political philosophy describing rules of attainment of TrivargaDharma, Artha and Kama and also showing the way of liberation(Moksha)- end goal of Hindu philosophy. Learned thinkers and teachers in ancient India such as Panini, Patanjali, Kautiya and several others had a very sound and scientific knowledge of agriculture and agricultural operations. Agriculture was the backbone of whole economic system of the state. Ancient Indian agriculture was highly sustainable in the sense that activities of irrigation, crop rotation, multiple cropping were totally connected with the cycles of Mother nature. In ancient India there was immense respect for skillful occupations and business activities. Panini was well aware of modern economic concepts and activities of barter exchange, Nature of barter transactions, Articles of trade, taxation,Vasna(price), capital and profit,Price and Medium of exchange. He describes about silpas, types of Silpas, classes of artisans, skilled and unskilled artisans, their just remuneration in proportion to their efficiency on the one hand and on the other hand mentions about traders.
Shantiparv clearly mentions that justice and punishment (Dand) are the protector of dharm, arth and kam, that is why dand is called trivarg- roop. Dand protects foodgrains and wealth also, so king should bear Dand and do wordly duties. Dand is essential so as to keep people of all ashrams in their limits(maryada), as a result all the people will live happily. All the people move on the path of rules and virtues, dharm and wealth (arth) may remain protected on this earth.
There is no doubt that all the activities are performed by wealth but wealth is also controlled by dand. This is the role and significance of dand. It implies that wealth earned from unlawful means and used for unfair purposes is controlled by dand.
Further, numerable references are found regarding Indian shipping going great distances and importing various commodities from the East and coastal frontiers of Chinese empire. The volumeof trade seems to have been so large as to absorb more than half of the Eastern trade import trade of the Roman empire, thus involved the imports of coin and specie to a large amount. Tamil poems describe graphically the ships of foreigners coming up the river, bringing gold for payment and carrying instead pepper and spices. Dharamsutras and Smritis recognize the existence of Guilds of cultivators, traders, capitalists, herdsmen, artisans etc. Such extensive trade and commerce is evidence of a prosperous nation with a teeming population under a fairly well ordered government, giving assurance for certain degree of peace, which is an absolute pre condition of a flourishing commerce.
It is the geographical contour that decides the culture and civilization of a place. In India, since ancient times there have been illustrations of various geographical routes, directions and astronomy. It is difficult to ascertain the time taken in the evolution of trade routes in India, though ages have passed in their evolution. The Vedic literature always remembers these early path-finders. Agni is designated as “pathi krit” because by burning vast jungles and bushes, it created routes following which the Vedic culture spread in different parts of India.Trade and travel in ancient times depended on the geographical situations of the trade routes and the measures taken to safeguard them against predators and wild animals. It is clear that ancient routes used by conquerors, rulers, pilgrims, wanderers and merchants were quite different from modern routes. These travelers subject to dangers, travelled together in well organised caravans, were not merely traders but were also carriers of Indian culture. Travelling on the Grand Route of the north, Indian merchants entered Central Asia and Syria and then returned back to their country by the same route.
In spite of severe difficulties caravans kept land routes open for trade and commerce and spread the peaceful expansion of Indian culture to far off countries. Panini mentions roads leading from one city to another (Tad-gachchhati pathi-dutayoh). The goods collected (abrita) and transported along these routes were called after the route, e.g. kantara-pathika, the route across the Vindhya forests which, as per Buddhist literature, connected Kosambi with Pratishthana and Bharukachchha.
Liquorice (madhuka) and pepper (maricha) were imported by the land route called sthalapatha (Katyayana), probably from the south. In the Devapathadi-gana Panini refers to various kinds of routes, e.g. varipatha, sthalapatha, vathapatha, karipatha, ajapatha, sankupatha, rajapatha, simbapatha, adding two more, viz. bamsapatha and devapatha, relating to air. Panini’s hamsapatha corresponds to sakunapatha of Mahaniddesa. Kalidasa also refers to devapatha (=surapatha), ghanapatha and khagapatha mentioned in the order of their relative heights. Economic philosophy, pursuits and solutions of a nation are very much influenced by her socio – cultural contexts. Despite several diversities of caste, creed, Varnas, language and outlook from north to south and from east to west, there has a unifying cord of sanatan culture in Indian subcontinent. Her sanatan traditions have always been essential part of the lives of the people and their economic and political activities. Hindu view of life considers the co-operation, synthesis and interdependency that is why in each ancient text there is found interwoven threads of society, economics, polity, ethics, scientific knowledge, psychology, mineral science, metallurgy, law and jurisprudence . Thus this interdisciplinary Seminar will help the scholars of different streams to think, analyze and ponder upon the issues, wisdom and solutions available in ancient Indian texts.
This interdisciplinary approach of learning will help to develop a feeling of self esteem and pride among scholars in own indigenous treasure of knowledge.
Sub themes:
· Political System in Ancient India
· Rajdharm in Ancient India
· Law and Jurisprudence in Ancient India
· Sustainable development in Ancient India
· Trade and trade routes in Ancient India
· Ancient Silk route
· Ancient Indian Economic philosophy and concepts
· Tourism and pilgrimage in Ancient India
· Exchange system and Coinage in Ancient India
· Taxation and welfare in ancient India
· Epigraphic evidence of coinage in Ancient India
· Economics of Temples in India
· Urban planning and architecture in Ancient India
· Man nature relationship in Ancient India
· Geographical understanding of Ancient Indians
· Development of astronomy in Ancient India
· Understanding of resource conservation in Ancient India
· Contribution of Ancient Indian explorers
· Sources of ancient Indian Geographical knowledge
. Call for Papers
A limited number of participants will be invited for the Seminar. Those interested in participating should send (preferably by email) an abstract (500 words) of the proposed paper in English only along with their C.V. (One page) directly to Professor Nidhi Sharma, Email: nidhisharmaeco@gmail.com, Mobile: 09452569714 and copy to the Academic Resource Officer, Indian institute of Advanced Study, Shimla on his Email seminar@iias.ac.in Tel: 0177-2831385
The last date for submission of abstract (500 words) is till 15t April 2025 05:00 PM. The Institute intends to send Invitation letters to selected participants by the 25th April, 2025. It is the policy of the Institute to publish the papers not proceedings of the seminars it organizes. Hence, all invited participants will be expected to submit complete papers (in English/Hindi only), hitherto unpublished and original, with citations in place, along with a reference section, to the Convener and copy to the Academic Resource Officer, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla– 171005 by 20th May, 2025.
The IIAS, Shimla will be glad to extend its hospitality (free hospitality is provided only to the Seminar participant) during the seminar period and is willing to reimburse, if required, rail or air travel expenses from the place of current residence in India, or the port of arrival in India, and back.
Note: Plagiarism is a serious academic offence and the Institute reserves the right to cancel the selection/participation of a candidate found guilty at any stage.
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