3. DUTIES OF THE KING The main duty of the King, according to Bhishma was to uphold ‘dharma’ and ‘prajahit’ i.e. welfare of the public. “The king is the heart of the people; he is their great refuge; he is their glory; and he is their greatest happiness.”8 (shloka number 59 of chapter 68). The king is the person who receives habitual obedience from all because the king is the “delighter of the people, bestower of happiness, possessor of prosperity, the best of all, healer of injuries, master of earth and protector of men.9(shloka number 54 of chapter 68). But the most important thing is that “the king should first conquer himself and then try to subdue his enemies.”10(shloka number 4 of chapter 69). In Shantiparva, while discussing the significance …show more content…
Bhishma has dealt at length about the beginning of this civilization and how righteousness was lost. Dandniti is the term used in this epic for the science of punishment14(shloka number 78 of chapter 59). It is the science of governance and the modes operandi to control the behaviour of all and to guide everyone on the path of dharma. It is a mechanism to destroy evil as the sun destroys the darkness. According to Bhishma, if the dandniti is destroyed, the essence of the three Vedas (Rig-Veda, Sam-Veda and Yajur-Veda) will disappear and the social system based on four varnas will be disturbed. On the destruction of dandniti and instability in Rajdharma, all people will suffer from many evils. Therefore it is the basic requirement for a person to be the king that he should be well versed in dandniti or the art of administration. When all are asleep, it is the dand and the fear of dand (punishment) which is awake and ultimately it is the concept of dand which regulates the behaviour of all in the society. The dand is the synonym of dharma. On account of fear of dand (punishment), one never involves himself in the sinful activities. If dand is not observed everything will be eclipsed by darkness. People can live happily only if they live under the law and abide by the rules and regulations of the …show more content…
It is only through the government that the peace and security is maintained in the state. It is only through the government that the king looks after the welfare of all in the society and can manage situations in such a manner that everyone in the society lives a very prosper life. To deliver justice to all without any discrimination and on the basis of dharma is the basic aim of government. In the state, the king is the apex of administration and he controls all the organs of the government. If everything is managed in a perfect manner and everyone in the state is happy, it means that it is not only governance rather it is good
The government within the monarchical society was populated by the aristocracy. It was they who were depended upon for directing the course of governmental affairs. The controls of all co...
...e ruler only holds power as long as his subjects obey his punishment commands. The sovereign does not determine the question of obedience to his commands, because that is ultimately a question the subjects determine for themselves, based on their assessment of their best interests and welfare. It therefore follows that the people as subjects, in due course, establish the very existence of the sovereign, which is dependent on obedience to his commands.
From the beginning of his life as a warrior to the end as a king, he gains and develops glory, responsibility and courage, all vital to his reign as a successful king.
A longstanding debate in human history is what to do with power and what is the best way to rule. Who should have power, how should one rule, and what its purpose should government serve have always been questions at the fore in civilization, and more than once have sparked controversy and conflict. The essential elements of rule have placed the human need for order and structure against the human desire for freedom, and compromising between the two has never been easy. It is a question that is still considered and argued to this day. However, the argument has not rested solely with military powers or politicians, but philosophers as well. Two prominent voices in this debate are Plato and Machiavelli, both of whom had very different ideas of government's role in the lives of its people. For Plato, the essential service of government is to allow its citizens to live in their proper places and to do the things that they are best at. In short, Plato's government reinforces the need for order while giving the illusion of freedom. On the other hand, Machiavelli proposes that government's primary concern is to remain intact, thereby preserving stability for the people who live under it. The feature that both philosophers share is that they attempt to compromise between stability and freedom, and in the process admit that neither can be totally had.
... an entire community can fall apart, by doing his job the ruler ensures his success, “this can be improved only through the equitable treatment of people with property and regard for them, so that their hopes rise, and they have the incentive to start making their capitol bear fruit and grow. This, in turn, increases the ruler’s revenues in taxes” (Khaldun 1734). A ruler must know that subjects have an important role and he does as well; however, he must never confuse this role because it leads to his downfall as well as those who look up to him.
Forward thinking John Locke described the government’s purpose in his Second Treatise on government. To this great thinker, political power is “a right of making laws…only for the public good” (Locke). This idea of organization is key to liberty. Government is made to protect the rights of a free person, not to remove or tarnish them. Thus, it is the type...
I believe governmental power is maintained through oppression and tactic compliance of the majority of the governed struggle and conflict are often necessary to correct injustice.
Through the Divine Right of Kingship the Emperor, King or Sultan is considered God’s regent on earth. This puts tremendous responsibility on the leaders, so they need to keep their priorities straight. They also need to be viewed as an almighty ruler in not only their empire’s eyes, but the eyes of other empires as well. In some cases they are feared because they are so powerful and their power comes from a divine
-Government is a way of making laws and regulations for the people. It is necessary to provide order and safety to the public. We have freedom and there needs to be an in between of freedom and order. Having a government allows protection of our rights and it is also needed to provide us with safety and have law enforcement and education for children. The primary purposes of government are to create a good public order while providing public safety such as protecting people from crimes. Government allows there to be boundaries and behaviors deemed appropriate by society.
The Declaration Of Independence states that,“Governments are instituted among Men.” Meaning that the governments will have all the power over its people. Compared to today, governments are still in power over their people. There are different types of government that help keep balance and govern people.
Every country in the world has a government that sets laws to keep order and peace. Not every government can be just in its ruling, but what defines a just ruling? And does anyone truly have the right to control others? Throughout time different types of governments have been established. As history progressed most governments were overthrown because of the laws that were imposed. Emperors and Kings changed to Presidents and Prime Ministers. This was caused by revolutions because the people did not like the way they were being ruled. But should people be ruled in the first place? Who should have the right to do such a thing? Today, the most powerful countries are run by democracy. But what is its purpose? It is supposed to carry out the will of the majority. So this means that someone will always be unhappy. Political philosophy deals with these sort of issues. Great minds such as Plato, Aristotle, Voltaire and Locke have looked at these issues and have tried to find the best possible answers.
government’s ability to hold true to its true purpose, which is to establish a government
A government was required to lead the people and aid in organizing a city. City governments were far more powerful than the council of elders and local chiefs of farming villages. At first, Priest probably had the greatest. In time, warrior kings came to power as chief political leaders. They soon set themselves up as the chief hereditary ruler and passed their power from father to son. Governments soon became more complex as rulers issued laws, collected taxes, and organizes systems of defense. To enforce order, rulers relied on royal officials. Over time, government bureaucracies evolved. Almost always rulers claimed their power came from god or divine right. These rulers then gained religious power as well.
If there were no king the country would be in chaos for there would be
During the 16th and 17th centuries, several European countries experimented with new types of government, one of the most popular ones being constitutional monarchy. Constitutional monarchy is a system of government in which a monarch shares power with a constitutionally organized government (ILASS 2, Unit 3, Constitutional Monarchy). The monarch is known as the king or queen, and their job is to maintain the order of their kingdom, making sure all its people see justice. The monarch must remain politically neutral so that he or she does not unjustly cater to only one party’s needs but to every party’s needs. Although the monarch has a lot of power, the ability to make and pass legislation resides with an elected parliament to give the government a check and balance so the country is at no one person’s disposal. Most were content with this type of government but it did not satisfy everyone, some did not feel it was justified morall...