Articles on Mahabharata Political History
Politics and Political History in the Mahabharata
By Narayan Chandra Banerji · The Indian Historical Quarterly, 1925
The Mahābhārata is not only a tale of family strife but also a text on political theory. This essay examines episodes where the epic speaks of kingship and popular sovereignty. When the throne of Hastināpur is vacant, the people approach Bhīṣma, begging him…
Politics and Political History in the Mahabharata - II (General political condition of India)
By Narayan Chandra Banerji · The Indian Historical Quarterly, 1925
The Mahabharata's political narrative depicts Northern India as fragmented into semi-independent states under a paramount power, with regional variations in governance. The central Madhyadesa, including the Kuru and Matsya regions, was the cultural and…
Politics and Political History in the Mahabharata
By Narayan Chandra Banerji · The Indian Historical Quarterly, 1925
This essay analyses the Mahabharata not merely as a religious epic but as a repository of political thought and historical memory. The author surveys passages that discuss kingship, statecraft and diplomacy, such as Bhishma’s discourse on duties of kings, the…