What role did dharma play in ancient Indian theories of Kingship?

The state in ancient India was governed by the king. This kingship was a practice guided by many rules. The king was considered as a servant of the people and not a person out to achieve his own interests. To ensure that such a king only acted to the interests of the people and to the welfare of the state, his actions were controlled by the Dharma, failure to which would lead to punishment. He was entrusted in protection, the prosperity of the people, maintenance of righteousness, and above all, to observe Dharma. Dharma was regarded by the people as the ideal way of governance. Therefore, it played a great role in ensuring the king employed the best practices of leadership. By observing Dharma, it ensures that the king rules not according to his likes or dislikes but according to people’s wishes. Observing the Dharma also ensured that the state was run smoothly as the people held the king in high esteem and consulted and obeyed his decisions in all matters. His life was to be devoted to serving the people he represented. The Dharma guided him on how to provide security to his people, how to prevent people from killing each other, and ensured economic prosperity by encouraging good agricultural methods and other economic activities.