Presentation Schedule
Pre Colonial Indian Political Thought: A Study of Dhurta Samagama by Jyotirishwar (95417)
Session Chair: Satish Kumar Jha
Sunday, 13 July 2025 13:05
Session: Session 3
Room: UCL Torrington, B08 (Basement Floor)
Presentation Type:Oral Presentation
Thomas Hobbes lived in complex times, it was the era of English Civil War. A period of uncertainty and his loyalty towards the monarchy motivated him to write about the importance of absolute sovereignty illustrated in detailed framework in Leviathan. He argues that absence of strong central authority would lead to a situation of chaos and violence. He is writing during his exile, uncertain of his future if the parliament manages to gain power hence his theory justifies the existence of all powerful sovereign. His work is considered as a foundation on which a rational, secular political authority of the modern political thought built on. The dominance of colonial made indigenous philosophies either be ignored or considered out dated. Dhurta Samagama of Mithila of 14th century predates Hobbes and yet urges its audiences to similar justification of strong sovereign. Jyotirishwar too, Like Hobbes is writing in the period of political turmoil. While Hobbes is confident, aware and motivated to draft a well formulated theory with a legitimised structure for absolute monarchy, Jyotirishwar is uneasy of the uncertainty, having lost his political privilege, he trades water cautiously and chooses to use drama as a rescue point while he is articulating his theory of state that resembles the Hobbesian imagination. This paper explores the so far unexplored political thought of Jyotirishwar on sovereignty, and authority masked under the satires and ironies created by him in the text called Dhūrta Samāgama designed under the Farce genre of drama.
Authors:
Namita Singh, University of Delhi, India
About the Presenter(s)
Ms. Namita Singh. Her interests include cultural History, Women History in precolonial India.
See this presentation on the full schedule – Sunday Schedule
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