politik chap 13 Maam

• State


  The central concern of political science. It is a natural institution because it is rooted in the reality of human nature.
• Plato, Aristotle


  State existed for seeking a common good, moral perfection. State was a political association, religious community, socializing agency.
• Marx


  The state is the product of class contradictions and class struggle; controlled by the economically dominant class.
• Weber


  The state is a "human community that (successfully) claims the monopoly of the legitimate use of physical violence in a given territory".
• Dahl


  The state is a collection of individuals occupying role positions (those of governing authority), acting as a group to govern.
• Giddens


  A states is "a political organization whose rule is territorially ordered; able to mobilise the means of violence to sustain that rule".
• 3 main state systems


  • Ancient states system
  • European states system (European international society)
  • Global international society → IR
• The current states system evolved from the past system.
• States System


  Also known as "the international society", "global community", "international community"
• History of international relations has as its major theme the interactions between states in the system.
• Today the international society is more complex and interdependent.
• Ancient states system consisted of past civilisations


  • Assyria
  • Egyptian
  • Chinese
  • Indian
  • Greek
  • Mayan
  • Aztec
  • Roman
• Examples of ancient states


  • Chinese empire
  • Greek city states
  • Roman empire
  • Indian empire
  • Mesopotamia
  • ancient Egypt
• Sumerian civilization (Mesopotamia) – sense of belonging to a nation began to spread all over the world.
• Followed by new civilisations: Egyptian, Indian, Chinese, Hebrew, Phoenician, Greek, Maya, Aztec.
• No systematic rules for conducting the IR behavior. Guided by aggression and a certain kind of exchange on a very limited scale.
• No rule/ framework for IR.
• Greek civilization (800-322 B.C.)


  • The Greeks travelled and explored. Found other states in India, the shores of the Baltic, Spain, North West coast of Africa; trade activities with these states.
  • Brought three ingredients of IR: i) Recognition to the independence & sovereignty of other states; ii) Standard procedures for declaring war; and iii) Arbitration & conciliation through third parties (diplomatic bargaining process).
• The Greeks called themselves Hellenes; The area where they lived and their culture was called Hellas.
• Ancient Greek was divided into many independent states, centred on the Aegean Sea.
• Passionately attached to their independence, each polis should manage its own affairs, X any kind of hegemony.
• Three features of Hellenic system


  • Anti–hegemonialism
  • Stasis: use of armed force to change the way a city state is governed
  • Dike: way of settling dispute—justice
• Examples of ancient Greek city states


  • Athens
  • Sparta
  • Corinthia
• Chinese civilization (770 – 221 B.C.)


  • Characteristics: Hegemony, warring states, empire.
  • Main achievement: imperial unity under the Qin empire.
  • Achieved a level of sophistication in managing relations between different communities held together in the system.
• Examples of Chinese kingdoms


  • Yuan
  • Ming
  • Chu
  • Chin
• Ancient India civilization consisted of diverse states and peoples, speaking a great variety of languages.
• Politically divided into different and diverse independent units: multiple independent states.
• Aryans created a dominion in the Indian peninsula, spread their language: Sanskrit.
• Hindu civilisation is a blend of Aryan and earlier Indian cultures.
• Developed rules and institutions of government, influenced by Hindu cultural traditions.
• Arthashastra (Book of the State)


  Written by Kautilya, described the nature of Indian states system, relations between one ruler and another, how an emperor can unite and bring order to India, how to govern an empire.
• Kautilya's six elements of governing


  • King
  • Government
  • Country and population
  • Fortifications of the country
  • Treasury
  • Armed forces
• Kautilya's guiding principle


  "My enemy's enemy is my friend"
• Macedonian system


  • Complex mixture of states that varied in character and size, degree of external actions.
  • Greatly influenced by ancient Greece: "Hellenization".
• Famous rulers


  • Philip II
  • Alexander the Great
• Alexander united the Persian empire into a single imperial structure, but it broke up after his death.
• Roman civilization (328 B.C. – 436 A.D.)


  • The beginning of the end of the ancient states systems based on empire.
  • Rome began as a city state in central Italy, western part of the Mediterranean.
  • Over centuries Rome expanded its authority and methods of government in Europe.
  • Roman empire was made up of diverse peoples, areas.
  • Rome brought to Europe cultural transformation and laid the foundations of European civilisation, influenced most aspects of that civilization.
• Protected by Roman military superiority, subjects of conquered areas became subjects of imperial Rome.
• Areas of the empire outside Italy were ruled from Rome through a governor.
• The vastness of Roman empire made it difficult to govern—too large, led to exploitation by military leaders on whom the Roman senate depended on.