Vedic Political Thought and Today’s India

Abstract

Ancient India was not a democracy in the modern sense of the term. The king ruled, but he was not an autocrat. There was division of power.  The king, a member of the Kshatriya clan, was advised by a council of elders, usually Brahmins; the finances were provided by the Vaishyas (business and agriculture), and the foot-soldiers were often the Shudras. Thus, all four varnas were important part of the ruling system. We cannot build a political system purely on the Vedic model, but we can learn from it.