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conceived to be normally hereditary, nevertheless, it is fully realized here that to be a sovereign, really and successfully, one ought to have the natural qualities of leadership, proper training, a high moral character, especially in terms of the great virtues of justice, courage. temperance, and magnanimity. Along with these qualities one must follow a policy which would further the public interest and please the people while keeping them in order. The whole point of the niti-sastra is that acquiring and exercising sovereign authority is not assured by any mechanical system. Nor is mere personal force adequate. The proper exercise of sovereign depends on proper training and proper formulation of policy. Success can come only if popular welfare, justice and happiness are combined with enlightened leadership and effective management. Niti thinkers thus reject by implication, the adequacy of mere natural or hereditary rights. They do not accept that power won by mere force, cruelty or terror deserves to be accepted as real sovereignty. For Hemacandra, the real king must be a great man, well educated, especially in the principles of governance and devoted to the interest of the people.
Perhaps one may say that all this relates to a form of government which appears to have disappeared for ever. Even when monarchy was the order of the day, one may doubt if idealistic advice was of any avail. Kings are notoriously averse to listening to advice as many an adviser had discovered to his grief. Against such cynicism, one can only say that during the classical period of Indian history, the tradition of niti was not wholly ineffective. Its origins belong to a period when monarchy was part of a community with high political virtue. The famous kings of ancient times did realize the ideals of heroism, educational training, and a genuine consideration for the people. It may, however, be admitted that this tradition declined in the medieaval period when the tradition of niti-sastra also tended to disappear. As for the disappearance of monarchy, one may be allowed to submit that the qualities described for the sovereign are now needed by a much larger number of persons. The fact that 500 persons exercise sovereignty today does not make the question of their moral qualifications and educational training, any the less important. As already mentioned the niti tradition rejects the idea of any natural right or any natural ability as a self-sufficient title to successful governance. In every case moral and educational training are necessary and so is expertise in management and the framing of policies. If millions of people have stepped into the place of the king, they all need the training of the king to the extent to which they actually participate in the kingship.
It may be argued that every man knows his own interests and if his
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