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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 included the Guptas (c. 320–550 AD), the Cholas in Tamil Nadu (c. 848–1279 AD), and the Vijayanagara Empire(c. 1336–1646 AD).
Seven limbs
A Hindu kingdom was described as formed from seven "limbs":
- 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.;
- king's ministers [hi] (amātyas);
- nation (janapada or rāṣṭra, included both the land and population);
- army ("force", symbolically represented by daṇḍa, a sceptre);
- forts (durga);
- treasure (koṣa);
- allies (mitra).
King's divinity
The late 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.
References
- Chaulagain 2019, pp. 1–2.
- ^ Chaulagain 2019, p. 6.
- ^ Chaulagain 2019, p. 1.
- ^ Chaulagain 2019, p. 2.
- 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.
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