Edict in Pre-Colonial India: An Analysis from the New Haven Perspective

The territory of India is the locus of an ancient and deeply philosophical culture. This land not only gave birth to the epic religion of Hinduism but also to the first urban civilization, the Indus Valley Civilization. Many different kingdoms such as Mauryan Empire and Mughal Empire with customary authoritative decision practices also emerged in the Indian subcontinent. However, the impact these deep and distinct cultures, civilizations and empires have had on decision-making and official behavior in India over the decades has not been studied. This article seeks to study the notion of law/interstate law in pre-colonial India, how it was formulated during and in what way/s the process of making law was different from western traditions of law-making. To achieve this end, the New Haven methodology will be adopted. This work will also provide some preliminary conclusions in relation to Indian foreign policy which remains “formalist dualism” from ancient to current times.