The authors of Indian Political Thinking set out to critically compare and contrast the major ideas and frequently used terminology of classical and contemporary Indian political thought. It examines the Ramayana as well as the Mahabha¬rata from the perspective of ancient Indian thinking, paying partic¬ular attention to the perspectives of Manu as well as Kautilya. This then goes on to classify the major political schools of thought within contemporary Indian philosophy. When introducing each school of thought, we discuss the major theoretical questions at play in that school's method¬ology and the significant intellectual contributions made by individual thinkers. In addition to Mahatma Gandhi, Subhas Chandra Bose and Jawaharlal Nehru, the social and political ideas of Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Swami Vivekanand, Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Pt. Deendayal Upadhyay, Tarabai Shinde, Savtribai Phule, Kamaladevi Chattopadhyay, M.N. Roy, Japaprakash Narayan, Sri Aurobindo, Ram Manohar Lohia, Pandita Ramabai, and Dr. Ambedkar have also been highlighted. It really is hoped that an unbiased and impartial evaluation of the contributions of various thinkers and schools of thought may be achieved. This book has been written in quite an accessible and straightforward manner, and it in¬cludes a number of special elements that will appeal to its target audience. It is written with both Indian university students and the casual reader in mind.
