Archive for May 19th, 2009

Almost 71.5 crore voter chose to vote and out of which the Congress led UPA managed to come up with flying colors. Now that it is sure that the only Party (alliance) that can form a government is Congress (UPA), everyone is offering their support be it conditional or unconditional. Looking at the current scenario where Mayawati led BSP, or Mulayam led SP are willing to support the new government from outside just to show that they welcome any government which is Secular and non BJP. On the other hand it is to be noted that it is a compulsion for the Congress led UPA as well to have these small but important parties in their favor.

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There are constitutional glitches that contain UPA to go on their own even if they have the magic number of 272 in the upcoming 15th Lok Sabha.  In order to ensure that the government of UPA works fine in future and the plans they make get executed smoothly they will have to take into consideration the Rajya Sabha as well. Congress and its allies have only 89 members where as to make any bill go out of the house on a positive note they would need 118 affirmatives. For the same it becomes mandatory for Congress to ensure that they have the required members in place and thus they would not like to go against any party other than NDA allies. The provision of bills becoming an Act in the Parliament is discussed in detail in the Constitution of India. Now that more and more people have shown interest in political process of the nation here is the information on what it takes to make any change in the existing arrangement given in the Constitution.

 

Provision for amendment of the Constitution is made with a view to overcome the difficulties which may encounter in future in the working of the Constitution. No generation has monopoly of wisdom no has a right to place letters on future generations to mould the machinery of government according to their requirements. If no provisions were made for the amendment of the Constitution, the people would have recourse to extra Constitutional methods like revolution to change the Constitution.

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For the purpose of amendment, the various Articles of the Constitutions care divided into three categories.

1.       AMENDMENT BY SIMPLE MAJORITY:

Articles which can be amended by Parliament by simple majority as that required for passing of any ordinary law. The amendments contemplated in Articles 5, 169 and 239-A, can be made by simple majority. These Articles are specifically excluded from the purview of the procedure prescribed in Article 368.

 

2.       AMENDMENT BY SPECIAL MAJORITY:

Articles of Constitution which can be amended by special majority as laid down in Article 368. All Constitutional amendments, other than those referred to above, come within this category and must be effected by a majority of the total membership of each House of Parliament as well as by a majority of not less than 2/3rd  of the members of that House present and voting.

3.       AMENDMENT BY SPECIAL MAJORITY AND RATIFICATION BY STATES:

Articles which require, in addition to the special majority mentioned above, ratification by not less than ½ of the State Legislature. The States are given an important voice in the amendment of these matters. These are fundamental matters where States have important Power under the Constitution and any unilateral amendment by Parliament may vitally affect the fundamental basis of the system built up by the Constitution. This class of Articles consists of amendments which seek to make any change in the provisions mentioned in Article 368. The following Provisions require such ratification by the States.

(i)                  Election of the President- Article 54 & 55

(ii)                Extent of Executive Powers of the Union and States- Articles 73 & 162

(iii)               Articles dealing with Judiciary, Supreme Court, High Court in the States and the Union Territories- Article 124-147,214-231 & 241.

(iv)              Distribution of Legislative powers between the Center and the States- Articles 245 -255

(v)                Any of the Lists of the VIIth Schedule

(vi)              Representation of States in Parliament IVth Schedule.

(vii)             Article 368 itself.

The Founding of Vardhana Dynasty

Tuesday, 19th May, 2009

After the fall of the Gupta Empire and the overthrow of the Huna power late in the 5th century, there was no great power left in the Northern India. A large number of small independent kingdoms emerged in this region. One of these was the Kingdom of Thaneshwar of the Srikantha Janpada. In its earliest states it comprised a substantial portion of the Sutlaj Yamuna Doab in the east Punjab. According to Bana, the author of Harsha Charita, the Kingdom of Thaneshwar was founded by Pushpabhuti, a great worshipper of Shiva. The line of rulers who ruled over this kingdom is, therefore known as Pushpabhuti Dynasty. The Madhuban Plate inscriptions give the names of the first three rulers of this dynasty as Naravardhana, Rajusyavardhana and Adityavardahana. They used the title only of Maharaja. Little is known about these three kings. It seems that they were feudatories either of the Guptas or the Hunas or of both of them at different times. They also remained under the Maukharis for some time. These three kings ruled during the period AD 510-580. The next ruler of this dynasty was Parbhakarvardhan who came to the throne in 580 AD.

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Parbhakarvardhan was the first king of the Vardhana Dynasty who assumed the royal titles of Maharajadhiraj and Parmabhatarka. Beginning as a petty chief of a small kingdom, he rose to pre-eminence by his military exploits and conquest of his neighboring kingdoms. He became a lion to the Huna Deer, a burning fever to the king of the Indus lands, a troubler of the sheep of Gujarat, a bilious plague to that scent- elephant the lord of Gandhara, a looter to the lawlessness of the Latas, an axe to the creeper of Malwa glory. Madhubani Plate Inscription describes him as a king whose fame had spread beyond the four seas. The empire of Parbhakarvardhan was limited to Thanesar only is what some scholar believe.

 

Bana’s Harashcharita tells that the Hunas ruled over a small principality in the foothills of the Himalayas in the north and the North West Punjab. The Gurjaras ruled over the upper regions of the Chajj and Rachna Doabs to the north east of the Sindhu comprising the Peshawar and Attock districts and some adjoining regions. Parbhakarvardhan followed a vigorous policy towards the North West Frontier territories. He sent an expedition against these kingdoms and brought them under his sphere of influence but probably he was not able to annex them to his empire. The territories under his direct rule seem to have been the present day states of Haryana and Punjab only. Whenever the Kingdoms of the North West became headstrong, he dealt with them sternly. For instance, when the Hunas created some trouble towards the closing years of his reign, he sent his elder son Rajyavardhana to suppress them. The young prince received numerous wounds in the battle but was successful in defeating and driving them away. Parbhakarvardhan also received the help of the Maukharis of Kanauj to fight against the Hunas.

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Parbhakarvardhan had two sons Rajyavardhana and Harshavardhan and one daughter Rajyashri. He gave his daughter Rajyashri in marriage to Prince Grahavarman, the son and successor of Avantivarman Maukhari of Kanauj. Parbhakarvardhan died in 606 Ad and was succeeded by his son Rajyavardhana. Just then, Devagupta, the king of Malwas which is modern Madhya Pradesh invaded Kanauj, killing its young ruler Grahavarman. He also took away his queen Rajyashri as prisoner to Malwa. Hearing such shocking news, Rajyavardhana instantly led an army and defeated the King of Malwa. The battle was won but Rajyavardhana was treacherously killed by Sassanak, the King of Gaur which is modern day state of Bengal, an ally of Devagupta.