History of Economic Thought. Economic Thought of Ancient India (Most Important)

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History of Economic Thought. Economic Thought of Ancient India (Most Important)

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3. ECONOMIC THOUGHT OF ANCIENT INDIA

The economic thought of ancient India was embodied in the most ancient monuments - Vedas, which are a collection of prayers, hymns, spells (1st millennium BC). The appearance of such works of ancient Indian epic containing economic ideas as "Mahab Harata" и "Ramayana". The first tells about the wars of the Bharata tribe, the second - about the exploits of Rama.

The development of economic thought was reflected in literary and religious monuments. Among them are famous "Laws of Manu", which contain rich material about the socio-economic conditions of India in the 3rd millennium BC. e., express through the lips of priests (Brahmins) the economic views of slave owners. They established the forms of turning a free person into a slave (dasa), and consolidated his powerless position in society. The "Laws of Manu" reflected the existence of hereditary castes. The Brahmanical concept of economic policy substantiated in them assigned a significant role to the state, which was entrusted with providing income, regulating economic activity, exploiting the free population, etc.

An outstanding monument to the history of economic thought in ancient India is the treatise "Arthashastra" (author - brahmin Kautilya (late IV - early III centuries BC)). "Arthashastra" characterizes the socio-economic and political structure of the country.

The treatise tells about social inequality, justifies and consolidates it, confirming the legitimacy of slavery, the division of society into castes. The basis of the country's population was the Aryans, divided into four castes: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas and Shudras. Brahmins and kshatriyas enjoyed the greatest privileges.

The treatise is devoted to artha - material gain: the acquisition of land, the receipt of taxes, trade profits, interest, etc. It describes in detail the state of the country's economy, the main occupations of the population. Agriculture was the main industry, along with crafts and trade. The treatise assigned a large role to the construction and maintenance of irrigation systems. Attention is focused on the royal economy and the economic policy of the sovereign. The goal of good governance is the growth of state wealth, which is made up of the results of the labor of the population, therefore it should be spent on public needs: maintaining irrigation facilities, building roads, etc. Slavery is recognized as a natural phenomenon for the "accumulation of wealth." The treatise pays great attention to the regulation of slavery, which retained the features of the patriarchal system. The main goals of state policy are to replenish the treasury with the help of taxes and to combat the theft of state property. The sovereign must fight commercial speculation and usury. "Arthashastra" contains rich information about the social division of labor and exchange, an integral part of the whole doctrine of the conduct of the national economy is the doctrine of trade. "Arthashastra" paid great attention to the interpretation of the economic role of the state. It carried out the idea of the active intervention of the state in economic life, in the regulation of social relations.

Author: Tatarnikov E.A.

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