Source: TW
IMO, a proper historical account of the Hindu state has never been written. Most authors have followed the Occidental tendency to view it in a purely secular sense and explain the religious side of it merely as a framework for justifying V1 and/or V2 power.
However, we hold that there are at least three deeply entwinned elements: the religious, the “para-religious” dharma, and the secular elements.
As H saw the unity of knowledge, these elements were not truly separable in the H mind.
Further, while I distinguish and use terms like a “Tantric state”, it should be understood that the Tantric state itself based its foundations on an ultimately Vedic model with deep Indo-European roots.
A bridging intermediate between the two was the “paurANika state”, which was sort of a default mode in the later times.
I would say the Marathas along with those legalists at Kashi were examples of a pauraṇika state. Or the Senas(cf Ballala compiling things from the puranas in his sāgaras)
Yes. Among the va~Nga-s I seem to perceive a clear transition between the full-blown tAntrika pAla-s and a more paurAnicizing sena.