Kautilyan Principles and the Law of Nations – A Comment, 1967
Scope and Contents
The Upendra Baxi Collection is a digital collection that currently comprises a single series, Bibliography. This series is organised into several subseries, including Published Academic Articles, Published Book Chapters, Published Books, Published Book Reviews, Published Lectures and Presentations from Conferences and Seminars, Newspaper Articles, Letters and Correspondence (Mathura Rape Case), Other Media, and Media Articles by Others on the Mathura Rape Case.
Dates
- Publication: 1967
Creator
- Upendra Baxi (Author, Person)
- Sharunya (Archives Intern, Person)
- Meghashree Dev (Processing Archivist, Person)
Full Extent
From the Collection: 250 Megabytes
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
Upendra Baxi's article, "Kautilyan Principles and the Law of Nations – A Comment," critiques the Eurocentric view of international law, arguing that ancient Indian concepts from Kautilya's Arthashastra (like Dharma, justice, statecraft, and ethical governance) offer rich, non-European foundations for understanding international relations, challenging the idea that international law solely originated in 19th-century Europe and highlighting Kautilya's pragmatic yet moral approach to state power and conduct. Baxi's commentary emphasizes understanding Kautilya's wisdom within its historical context, not just through European lenses, for a fuller history of international law. Published in the Indian Yearbook of International Affairs by the Indian Study Group of International Law and Affairs, Madras University, Madras. pg 203-255
Repository Details
Part of the NLS Law and Society Archives Repository