Indian Political Thought: Themes and Thinkers | Third Edition | By Pearson

10

Political Philosophy of Tulsidas

—Niraj Kumar Jha

Goswami Tulsidas (1497–1623 CE), a great devotional poet, did not write on political philosophy per se. Basically, he was a great devotee and rendered the saga of Lord Ram in excellent poetry. The exploits of Ram had originally been narrated in Sanskrit by Valmiki and thereafter have been retold by many enlightened souls at different times and at different places; and even today the retellings of the great saga continue to cut across different mediums of communication. The story espouses the best values of Indian civilization, one of the oldest in the world. The various versions seek to adapt the old values to the needs of time and space; and among them Tulsidas’ rendering, the Ramcharitmanas ...