God as Political Philosopher: Buddha's Challenge to BrahminismIlaiah demystifies Buddha whom he sees as a man and not a god and as India's first social revolutionary. Critical of the caste system, Buddha inducted low caste members into the sangha and made them his trusted advisers. Dissent was given a constructive place. In contrast with contemporary Hindu society, Buddha gave women an honoured place in the sangha. Pre-dating Socrates and Plato by years, Buddha also foreshadowed key elements of their philosophy and propounded theories of the state, the individual, and the role of society with the signal difference that he also put his ideas into practice. But European scholarship sought to deny his relevance as a thinker, while nationalistic Hindu historiography sought to subsume his achievements into a monolithic Hindu past. |
Contents
Acknowledgements vii | 1 |
PreBuddhist Society | 26 |
Gautama Buddhas Life and Philosophy | 49 |
The State and Its Origins | 71 |
Justice Democracy and Administration | 101 |
Property Rights and Duties | 128 |
Class and Caste | 158 |
Women | 180 |
Conclusion | 208 |
Bibliography | 227 |
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God as Political Philosopher: Buddha's Challenge to Brahminism Kancha Ilaiah No preview available - 2001 |
Common terms and phrases
According Ajatasatru Altekar Ambedkar Ananda ancient India Aristotle Arthashastra Aspects assembly bhikkhuni bhikkhuni sangha bhikkhus Brahmins Buddhist Buddhist sangha caste system chapter Chattopadhyaya Chullavagga concept culture Dalitbahujan danda Delhi democracy dhamma Digha Nikaya Dulva emerged Gautama Buddha Hindu Polity Hindu thinkers Hinduism History human ideology important Indian political individual institutions Jataka Jayaswal joined the sangha justice Kancha Ilaiah Kautilya Kautilya and Manu king Kosambi Kshatriyas Kshatriyas and Vaisyas living Lokayata Maha Prajapati mahajanapada Majumdar Mehta Motilal Banarsidass Mumbai nationalist Nersesyants Oldenberg period Plato political philosophy political thinkers Political Thought practice Pre-Buddhist India principle Publishing House punishment question R. S. Sharma religion religious Republic Rhys Davids rice Rockhill rulers Saletore sangha sangha members sangha property sangha system says scholars slaves social society Socrates Sudras Sutta T. W. Rhys Davids theory upasampada Vaisyas Vajjians Vedic viharas Vinaya Pitaka Western Political women yajnas