Conceptual Outline of Human Rights in Ancient Indian Literature

Abstract

Human rights are central to legal thinking today. Societies have associated the beginning of human rights with religious documents; Vedas, Bible, Qur’an, and the Analects of Confucius are some of the oldest written sources, which consecrate references about people’s rights, duties, and responsibilities. Ancient Indian literature like any other legal system of ancient world recognizes rights and duties of individuals. The greatest virtue of Indian culture remains that it is integrated. Our society firmly believes in the doctrine of ‘Karma’ hence the Doctrine of Right becomes an eminent part of the Indian Culture. The state, the individual, and the classes were integrated by the great concept of ‘Dharma’ conceived as duty, which alone was the right. This paper discusses the concept of human rights in ancient Indian literature drawing reference from the Indian concept of ‘Dharma’.