🤴India’s long standing tradition of republics

According to the myth of oriental despotism, Europeans developed the best political systems of governance, with democracy and rule-of-law, while the rest of world was ruled by arbitrary dictators, who inflicted their will upon the people.

If you were (un)lucky enough to watch Spielberg's Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, this was on full display: Zalim Singh, that's right.

Was pre-modern India really just a land of despot kingdoms?

While this may be true of Mughal despotism which India did unfortunately have to endure, ancient and medieval India has infact had a long standing tradition of republics.

Not all Kings from a royal blood-line or ruled by divine right

The Vedic literature, Jain and Buddhist texts show to us that ancient India was ruled by councils of thinkers and learned men. Though India had numerous kings and queens, they did not have absolute power as a monarch would. Many were even elected Kings!