Politics and Power

This chapter aims to delineate and scrutinize the nexus of solidarity existing between politics and power in ancient India, elucidating the discourses instrumental in their ongoing negotiation to sustain this bond. When referencing politics, it denotes the framework of governance characterized by coercion, violence, and conflict—a structure molded by the ideologies of kingship and the state, ensuring its perpetuation through forceful means. In contrast, the concept of power refers to the foundational semantics of glory, materializing in practices epitomized by what Giorgio Agamben defines as “acclamation”—the endorsement and praise via words and actions, bestowing legitimization upon governance without resorting to violence. The absence of semantic authority reduces political governance to mere brute force. Throughout ancient India, rulers consistently sought endorsement from adept generators of power, individuals capable of engineering conditions that compelled deference and compliance. Within the realm of power dynamics, coercion and consensus were reframed into manifestations of extraordinary might and grandeur. Examining the religious history of ancient India, spanning from the inception of the first millennium BCE to the turn of the Common Era, presents a compelling illustration of sustaining royal authority, achieved through the symbiotic relationship between wielding power and ritualistic demonstrations of endorsement. Within this dynamic, Brahmin priests, leveraging their ritualistic knowledge, served rulers and affluent segments of society.