{
  "id": 2739890,
  "title": "Just Like That: When kings were also scholars",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/23/just-like-that-when-kings-were-also-scholars",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-23T07:07:45.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hindustan Times",
    "slug": "hindustan-times",
    "url": "https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/just-like-that-when-kings-were-also-scholars-101787468544508.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In the annals of Indian history, the notion that rulers must forsake intellectual pursuits is a misconception. Throughout the ages, kings and emperors across various dynasties demonstrated an extraordinary dedication to the cultivation of knowledge, arts and philosophy alongside their political responsibilities. From the Gupta emperor Samudragupta, who was also a skilled musician, to the Rashtrakuta emperor Amoghavarsha I, a literary patron and practitioner, the tradition of scholar-kings flourished across India.\n\nMahendravarman I, a Pallava king, was a connoisseur of literature, art and music, while the emperors of the Chola dynasty, under Raja Raja Chola I, compiled the works of Tamil saints into the Tirumurai. The Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadevaraya, too, was a prolific writer, composing the Amuktamalyada in Telugu. In the realm of religion and philosophy, Akbar, despite limited formal education, exhibited an insatiable curiosity, hosting debates among scholars of different faiths at his Ibadat Khana.\n\nThis tradition was not confined to singular regions or dynasties, as evidenced by the scholar kings who emerged across India, from the Kushan emperor Kanishka I, a major patron of Buddhism, to the Western Chalukya ruler Someshvara III, who authored the encyclopedic Manasollasa. The concept of the king as a wise and learned ruler was deeply ingrained in Indian society, with philosopher-statesmen such as Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. S. Radhakrishnan, Jawaharlal Nehru, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya embodying this ideal in modern India. This demonstrates that the pursuit of knowledge and wisdom was not an incidental aspect of rule, but an integral part of the responsibilities of sovereignty in India.",
  "summary": "From Samudragupta to Nehru, India’s history is rich with rulers and statesmen who combined political power with scholarship, philosophy, art and learning.",
  "key_points": [
    "Indian rulers were scholars alongside political duties.",
    "Examples include Gupta Samudragupta, Rashtrakuta Amoghavarsha I.",
    "Modern India saw philosopher-statesmen like Gandhi and Nehru."
  ],
  "editors_take": "The tradition of Indian rulers being well-versed in arts, philosophy, and knowledge challenges the common perception that leaders must prioritize politics over intellectual pursuits.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}