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Indian political thought presents a rich and multifaceted understanding of freedom, rooted in both ancient philosophical traditions and modern political movements. Unlike the Western liberal notion of freedom as individual autonomy and absence of external constraints, Indian conceptions often integrate spiritual, moral, and social dimensions. Classical texts such as the Bhagavad Gita and Arthashastra emphasize svadharma (one's own duty) and self-mastery, highlighting inner freedom through discipline and ethical action. Modern thinkers like Mahatma Gandhi, B.R. Ambedkar, and Rabindranath Tagore further developed these ideas, connecting freedom with self-realization, social justice, and emancipation from colonial and caste oppression. Gandhi viewed swaraj (self-rule) as both political independence and personal ethical sovereignty, while Ambedkar stressed freedom as equality and dignity in a democratic society. Thus, Indian political thought defines freedom not merely as liberation from external domination but as a holistic process of personal, social, and national transformation.

Indian political thought, freedom, swaraj, svadharma, self-rule, Gandhi, Ambedkar, Tagore, spiritual freedom, social justice, emancipation, colonialism, caste, self-realization, democracy.