The Prince

Niccolò
Machiavelli
Principalities: Inherited or New
New principalities are either used to being ruled by a
prince or are used to being free. They are
acquired by luck or by strength.

Hereditary principalities are ruled by the princes

family and are easy to maintain as the tradition
keeps them going and the prince is in a stable
position.

New principalities cause trouble to the prince as

the people always try to change the ruler. If the
new territories have a different language and
customs then they are even harder to keep. The
best way is to go there and live to establish
colonies in them.
All principalities are governed either by a single ruler
assisted by his appointed ministers or by a ruler
and the hereditary nobles who hold power in their
own right and have the loyalty of their subjects.

The difficulty a new prince faces depends on his

ability. Private citizens become princes through
luck or ability.

Establishing new states is always difficult as

people happy under the old order will resist
change and will not support new things.
 Citizens who become princes through luck may
find it easy to acquire new states but find it
difficult to keep them as they are not used to
being in power and do not have their own armies.

The two other ways to become a prince are:

 By criminal means

 When private citizens choose a ruler from their

fellow citizens

A prince should live with his subjects in such a

way that no good or bad situation can force him
to change his conduct.
Regardless of how a prince comes to power, he
should make every effort to win the good will of
the people, or in times of trouble, he will have no
hope.

A wise ruler will contrive to keep all his citizens

dependent on him and on the state, and then he
will be able to trust them.

A states strength can also be determined by

whether the prince can defend himself or he has
to rely on the help of others.

Princes must lay good foundation i.e. good laws

and good army.
Auxiliaries are troops sent by another ruler to
help you. If they lose, you are ruined, and if they
win, you are in their power. Auxiliaries is a united
body trained to obey others.

Studying about war should be a princes main

goal. One can’t expect an armed man to obey an
unarmed one. Therefore a prince who does not
understand military matters will not be able to
work well with his soldiers.

Reputation for generosity may be desirable but

developing it can be dangerous.
 A price shouldn’t mind being called cruel in order
to keep his subjects loyal. People love at their
own wish, but fear at the prince's will, so a wise
ruler will rely on what he can best control.

A prince should avoid being hated. Taking

property or woman of his subjects will make him
unpopular. The best defense against internal
threats such as conspiracy is to be neither hated
nor despised.

A prince should show that he loves talent and

rewards it. He should keep the people
entertained with festivals at appropriate times
and he should give attention to the various civic
groups, attending some of their activities, but
without appearing undignified.
Princes should always find noteworthy ways to
reward or punish any extraordinary actions.

Choosing good ministers is vital, because a ruler

shows his intelligence in his choice of the men
around him.

Many people believe that fortune controls

everything, so that there is no use in trying to act,
but fortune controls only half of one's actions,
leaving free will to control the other half.

It is better to be bold than timid and cautious,

because fortune is a woman, and the man who
wants to control her must treat her roughly.
THANK YOU
Siddharth And Gautam Shah
AND

Samay S Sabharwal