The Aggañña sutta is one of the long discourses of the Buddha found in the Digha nikāya.

It
was preached by the Buddha to Vasettha and Bharadvaja who denounced their caste to
become monks. It examines the origin of the earth, of man and of society. It explains the
evolution of vegetation, evolution of life, the origin of state, and the origin of social grades
and political institutions. Buddhist theory of origin of state/kingship is contained in Aggañña
Sutta, 27th of 34 Sutta (formulation) under Digha Nikaya (Long Discourse).

Theory of “Great Elect” (Mahāsammat) – Birth of Kingship

One of the most important discourses, the Agganna Sutta, offers a mythological yet
philosophical explanation of the origin of society and the state. A long, long time ago, the
world went through a great transformation. There was no land, no oceans, no sun or moon
— just a vast, empty space. But over time, the earth began to form again. In that empty
world, beings of light lived peacefully in the sky. They were radiant, floating, and fed on
happiness. These beings were not human, but they were mind-born, shining with their own
inner light. There was no male or female, no food, no death, no birth — just existence in
bliss. Then something curious happened. One of the shining beings looked down and saw a
creamy, sweet substance forming on the surface of the earth — like the skin on boiled milk.
It was beautiful and fragrant. The being thought: “What would it be like to taste that?” So it
did. The being tasted the earth, and it was delicious.

Soon, others followed. They too began tasting this earthly delight. The more they ate, the
heavier and denser their bodies became. Their light started to fade. They could no longer
float — they began to walk on the ground. As their bodies became more solid, they started
to look different from each other. Some were more beautiful, others less so.

Due to the appearance of evil and immoral customs, specially “pride in their beauty,” vanity
and conceit, the savoury earth disappeared. Then rice appeared and also sex differences.
People divided off rice fields and set the boundaries creating ‘private property’, which, in
turn, caused the appearance of evil & immoral customs; one’s notion of one-self; and pride
in beauty and conceit.
People divided off rice fields and set the boundaries creating ‘private property’, which, in
turn, caused the appearance of evil & immoral customs; one’s notion of one-self; and pride
in beauty and conceit.

According to this account, in the beginning, beings lived in a blissful, formless state. Over
time, as greed and ego developed, society fell into disorder. To restore order, people
agreed to elect the most capable among them to settle disputes and maintain justice—
this elected leader was called the Mahāsammata, or the "Great Elect". This reflects a
quasi-contract theory, where the state is created by the people to serve specific
functions, and kingship is not divinely ordained. This marks the birth of the ruling or
warrior class (Khattiya) and the concept of political authority based on social contract.

Nature of Great elect

1. According to the Dialogues, the “Great Elect” was instituted by the people to settle
social conflicts, which had been generated by the psychological factors of greed, theft
and desire.
2. The state arises as a punitive institution charged with the responsibility of imposing
law and order without which human beings cannot survive as an orderly society. The
state becomes an agreement between the government and the ruled, wherein the
ruled transfer a part of their sovereignty to state for a specific purpose.
3. The relationship between the state and the subject is a contractual obligation in
which one commands and the other obeys. The obligation is mutual and if one party
violates it unilaterally, the other is no longer obligated by the terms of that contract.
The contract is symbolized by the institution of taxation, which is a payment for
specific work.

Rise of Monarchies

Necessity of the existence of the state was realized for orderly human society. Accordingly,
the rights of private property and family can prevail only under the state’s regulatory and
punitive authority. Buddha describes origin of 4 social classes; landed ruling class, priestly
class, trading class and hunters.
 1. Khattiya (ruling class)

With the rise of private property people began to divide lands and cultivated rice now
thieves began to steal the crops as they were already preoccupied with their jobs they
decided to appoint the ablest person among them to take care of the law and order and
gave him the title Mahasamatta- peoples choice or Khattiya – Lord of Rice field.

2. Brahmin (priestly class)

Some individuals decided to withdraw from worldly life. They chose to live in secluded
places, practicing meditation, restraint, truthfulness, and simplicity. They focused on moral
purity and spiritual discipline. They would come to the city on morning and evening only to
collect food and return to their hut for mediation, such people came to be known as
Brahmins. This is how the word “Brāhmaṇa” entered Buddhist discourse — not as a caste
label, but as a title of ethical and contemplative excellence.

3. Vessa class(Traders class)

As people took up cultivation in land they started making tools , goods were created and as a
result trade and farming emerged. These individuals formed the vessa class

4. Sudda ( hunters)

Those who began to engage in work such as farming, building, cleaning and various other
roles formed the sudda class.

It is important to remember that these roles developed naturally as occupation and choice
not by birth.

The idea of monarchy solidified with the decline of a republic. Although monarchy became
dominant, Buddhism still acknowledged traces of republican systems and valued moral
restraints on the ruler’s power. The state was expected to protect life, property, and moral
order, and avoid becoming tyrannical. The potential for abuse of power by kings was
recognized, and Buddhist texts warned against despotic rule, often depicting unjust kings as
morally dangerous and socially destructive.

Buddhist political philosophy of kingship is associated with seven symbols of sovereignty

called sattharatana or seven constituent elements of kingship namely
 1. Wheel treasure- Most important part of sovereignty is the wheel treasure that
represents solar disc of the sun. Just like the sun illuminates and nurtures the earth
similarily, the king should show his authority over his dominion and territory.
2. Elephant treasure- Elephant denotes kings strength and authority over his state.
3. Horse- it denotes kings ability to move quickly and take decisions decisively.
4. Precious gems- They are considered to posses the power to safeguard against
disease , hunger demons etc. They symbolise brightness and full treasury of king.
5. Women treasure- Ideal queen that supports the king and ensures sucesssion
6. People- it represents the citizens or taxpayers who play key role in economy of state.
7. Councillor – A wise advisor or minister who helps the king govern wisely , responsible
for executing military and civil power.

The ideal kingdom was described as the territory without thorns (Akantaka) and untroubled
(Annuppīla). The state was to ensure that “the people should be happy and contended,
living in homes with open doors and playing peacefully with children in their laps”. The
description of such a state is depiction of a perfect state of law and order. Where, wicked are
punished; punishment is to be used to deter the potential offenders; king to have absolute
powers to banish culprits from his kingdom and also to execute the convicted criminals
However, the king was expected to act with justice in giving punishments.

Buddhists altogether realized the possibility of royal tyranny and the abuse of its power by
the state. Buddhist literature has described kings as intolerant, arbitrary, autocratic, greedy
and as an expropriator. The wrath of a king has been compared with that of thieves, fire,
flood, evil spirits or wild animals. In Aggana Sutta, there is acceptance by a society of a need
to exercise legitimate power to maintain law and order. The king’s main responsibility was to
protect these two areas and in return, he enjoyed the support from his subjects. In Buddhist
text, the ruler and the robber are placed opposite to each other as the protector and the
violator of family and the property. If the king was weak, the robbers prospered and vice-
versa. The legitimate ruler also performed other functions like protecting the borders recruit
strong army, perform judicial functions and provide patronage to diverse religious groups.

Stage 3: The Chakravartin (Cakkavatti) – The Righteous King

In their doctrine of Dhamma as the basis of the state, the early Buddhists found a recourse
to escape from the powerful state and the danger of its abuse of powers. Dhamma was
postulated as an all-powerful force to control an unrighteous king

Anna and dhamma( rule and buddhist law)

Buddhism had to live alongside powerful kings and monarchies. To manage this, Buddhism
developed the idea of two equal spheres of life—the religious and the political—each with
its own role. Many kings, like Bimbisāra and Ajātasattu of Magadha, Pasenadi of Kosala, and
Emperor Aśoka, supported Buddhism. They built monasteries and changed some laws that
made monastic life difficult. The Buddha's powerful influence on these rulers cannot be
denied. Although Buddhism began in forests, outside regular society, the Buddha and his
followers were still part of the kingdoms they lived in. They could not ignore state power,
especially since many of their supporters worked for the government. So, they adjusted
some Vinaya rules (monastic code) to keep good relations with the state.

Examples of such changes include:

• Monks could not eat elephant meat (elephants were royal animals).

• They avoided meat on days when killing animals was forbidden.

• Absconders wanted by state were not allowed to be sheltered by Buddhists.

• Royal servants needed permission to become monks.

As kings began controlling every aspect of life, Buddhists re-stated that Dhamma is higher
than Ānā.

o Dhamma was presented not as a sectarian creed but as a cosmic, impersonal

moral order—righteousness, fairness, and justice itself.
o Ānā (royal commands) must operate inside the limits set by this moral order.

Consequencesfor ignoring Dhamma

If a king neglected Dhamma, people believed nature would “push back”: untimely rain,
drought, famine, disease, or war.
Practising Dhamma—fasting, charity, meditation, vows of righteousness—was thought to
restore harmony and bring good rains. Political power (Ānā) may run the state, but it must
stay beneath the universal moral law (Dhamma); otherwise, both society and nature suffer.

Finally this resulted in culmination of cakkavati ( universal monarch), the "Wheel-Turning

Monarch." This king is not just a political ruler but a moral and spiritual guide. He governs
according to Dhamma—the Buddhist principle of righteousness—and seeks to create a just,
moral, and prosperous society. The Chakravartin rules with consent, maintains harmony,
promotes welfare, and upholds public morality. The Buddha is considered a spiritual
Chakravartin, and Emperor Ashoka is a historical example who attempted to embody these
ideals in practice. Under this model, the state becomes an instrument of Dhamma, and
politics is seen as a moral endeavor, not merely a tool for control.