matsya nyaya
Meaning. The law of the fish: the state of things where the strong devour the weak, as big fish eat small ones.
Matsya nyaya is the condition of anarchy described in ancient Indian political thought, where in the absence of a king and of danda (punishment) the strong devour the weak, as larger fish eat smaller ones. The Arthashastra of Kautilya, the Mahabharata (Shanti Parva) and the Manusmriti use it to explain why kingship and the rule of law are needed.
The idea forms an Indian counterpart to the social contract theorists' “state of nature”: the people accept a king who wields danda to protect the weak, and the king's duty (rajadharma) is to prevent matsya nyaya.
Example
Kautilya justifies danda by warning that, without it, matsya nyaya would prevail and the strong would swallow the weak.
See also
danda · rajadharma · dandaniti · nyaya
Read more in the study notes
- Ancient Indian political thought and the Saptanga theory (Political Science - Theory and Thoughts)