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In Hinduism, kingship was a monarchy institution guided by the religious laws of Hinduism, with corresponding complex and hierarchical structure. Hindu monarchies headed by Hindu kings were widespread in South Asia since about 1500 BC. Hindu monarchies went into slow decline in the medieval times, with most gone by the end of the 17th century, although the last one, Kingdom of Nepal, dissolved only in the 2008.

The notable Hindu empires in India included the Guptas (c. 320–550 AD), the Cholas in Tamil Nadu (c. 848–1279 AD), and the Vijayanagara Empire(c. 1336–1646 AD). At different points in time, Hindu kingdoms had existed in the Southeast Asia on the territories of the modern Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand.

Seven limbs

A Hindu kingdom was described as formed from seven "limbs":

1. the king himself (svāmī). The king typically represented the kshatria, a class of warrior aristocracy in the four varnas caste system. Hindu kingships usually did not have a priest-king, as the priestly duties were mostly performed by brahmins.;
2. king's ministers [hi] (amātyas);
3. nation (janapada or rāṣṭra, included both the land and population);
4. army ("force", symbolically represented by daṇḍa, a sceptre);
5. forts (durga);
6. treasure (koṣa);
7. allies (mitra).

King's divinity

The later Vedic era (c. 1000-600 BC) saw introduction of religious ceremonies intended to affirm the Hindu king's supernatural powers: rajasuya, ashvamedha, vajapeya [ru], aindrī-mahābhiṣeka, and punarābhiṣeka. Introduction of these expansive - and expensive - rituals was a probable cause of persistent tensions between the Hindu kings and brahmins, as a result, the Hinduism views on divinity of kings varied with time. The end of Vedic era with its proliferation of alternative religions was characterized by rapidly diminishing attention to the deification of the kings. The Laws of Manu (1st to 3rd century AD) marked a revival of the kings' divinity, simultaneously the Kushan Empire was worshipping also the deceased rulers. This upswing culminated in the Gupta Empire (3rd to 6th century AD).

References

1. Chaulagain 2019, pp. 1–2.
2. ^ Chaulagain 2019, p. 6.
3. Sahai 2010, p. 64.
4. ^ Chaulagain 2019, p. 1.
5. ^ Chaulagain 2019, p. 2.
6. Chaulagain 2019, p. 3.

Sources

• Chaulagain, Nawaraj (2019). "Kingship (Hinduism)". Hinduism and Tribal Religions. Encyclopedia of Indian Religions. Dordrecht: Springer Netherlands. doi:10.1007/978-94-024-1036-5_83-1. ISBN 978-94-024-1036-5.
• Sahai, S.B. (2010). The Hindu Civilisation: A Miracle of History. Gyan Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-212-1041-6. Retrieved 2024-09-22.

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