The author of arthashastra uses the term gramakuta to describe a village official or. Arthasastra is an ancient indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy which identifies its author by the names kautilya 1 and vi. Sep 09, 2019 the arthashastra of kautilya or chanakya. Mar 31, 2016 the whole book is just a list of dos and donts for a king. It includes books on the nature of government, law, civil and criminal court systems, ethics, economics, markets and trade, the methods for screening ministers, diplomacy, theories on war, nature of peace, and the duties. Two thousand four hundred years ago, kautilya compiled the arthashastra and with it he proved to be a kingmaker as he enabled the inception of the gupta dynasty. This was and is a book of reference for administrative strategies. Thank you, my friend, for asking me to reply to your question. Arthashastrabook x wikisource, the free online library. Dissent in the ancient indian sciences of sex and politics, published in india by. The arthashastra is an ancient indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy, written in sanskrit. Comparative study between arthasastra and san shi liu ji. See kangle, the kautiliya arthasastra, part 2, 516.
The objection that the arthashastra was the work of a scholar. Kautilyas arthashastra maintains that the state or government of a country has a vital role to play in maintaining the material status of both the nation and its people. Amicus meus, inimicus inimici mei my friend, the enemy of my enemy was a common saying by the early 18 th century, when it appeared in books otherwise written in. Arthashastrabook xiii wikisource, the free online library. How kautilyas arthashastra shaped the telling of ancient indian history. Arthashastra of chanakya english translation sanskrit ebooks. A king who is equal to his enemy in the matter of his sovereign elements shall, in virtue of his own righteous conduct or with the help of those who are hostile or conspiring against his enemy, endeavor to throw his enemys power into the shade. The arthashastra is an ancient indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military trategy authored by chanakya 350283 bce. Kautilyas arthashastra book i, concerning discipline chapter i. This book was lost for many centuries until a copy of it, written on palm leaves, was rediscovered in india in 1904 ce. A master stategist who was wellversed in the vedas and adept at creating intrigues and devising political stratagems, kautilya was the man who destroyed the nanda dynasty and installed.
The whole book is just a list of dos and donts for a king. The arthashastra summary a treatise on statecraft and. Secret means, book xiv of arthashastra, mainly talks of the secret efforts of the conqueror to save his kingdom from the enemy. Book xiii, strategic means to capture a fortress chapter i. The first chapter of the first book is an ancient table of contents, while the last chapter of the. The arthashastra is one of the earliest works of political realism to have been written, along with sun tzus the art of war and thucydides history of the peloponnesian war and is perhaps the most elaborate of these.
The title arthashastra is often translated to the science of politics, but the book arthashastra has a broader scope. As per the treatise, a good treasury should be in a position to support all the expenses of the kingdom. Kautilyas arthasastra on war and diplomacy in ancient india roger boesche. Sources of a sovereign state, book vi of arthashastra. However, if we carefully examine some of the literature after the second urbanisation emergence of the janapads of the subcontinent we find a lot of material which tells us that ancient indian writers were not devoid of the capability of writing treatises on. Who originally said, the enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Elaborate is an apt description, given that the treatise describes all sorts of weird and wonderful ways in which seditious ministers can be identified, and enemies can be toppled and. There are on the whole 15 books, 150 chapters, 180 sections and 6,000 slokas. Dr rudrapatna shamasastrys 1915 translation of kautilyas arthashastra has long been available online. Shamasastry the arthashastra is an ancient indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military trategy authored by chanakya 350283 bce. Buy kautilyas arthashastra book online at low prices in. A copy of the arthashastra in sanskrit, written on palm leaves, was presented by a tamil brahmin from tanjore to the newly opened mysore oriental library headed by benjamin lewis rice. It is commonly believed that the author of the art of war, written by sun tsu, was the initial creator of that phrase. But his credit as the author and even his very existence are very much debated. The author of arthashastra uses the term gramakuta to describe a village official or chief, which, according to thomas burrow, suggests that he was a native of the region that encompasses presentday gujarat and northern maharashtra.
This arthasastra is made as a compendium of almost all the. Manipulating public opinion was an effective way to create the environment of disharmony and distrust in the enemy kingdom, illwill among their allies, dissatisfaction. This book is a definitive introduction to the classic text, the arthashastra, the worlds first manual on political economy. The arthashastra is written mainly in prose but also incorporates 380 shlokas, which adds a vital poetic flourish to this otherwise downtoearth classic. Kautilyas arthashastra by kautilyas arthashastra, paperback. It is encyclopedic, discussing topics you would find in machiavelli, sun tzu, and maybe a business class run by xaviera hollander it sets the prices to be paid for the purchase of a courtesan, for example. Shamasastry, 1915 book i, concerning discipline book ii,the duties of government superintendents book iii, concerning law book iv, the removal of thorns book v, the conduct of courtiers book vi, the source of sovereign states. The arthashastra is often credited to kautilya, a scholar and an advisor for the mauryan dynasty. The acorn will attempt to publish excerpts each weekendfor discovery, for learning and for enjoyment we start with chapter ix on agreements for the acquisition of a friend or gold of book vii the end of the six. The treatise discusses monetary and fiscal policies, welfare, international relations, and war strategies in detail. Buy arthashastra book online at low prices in india. Chanakya was a great teacher of takshashila university, who taught chandragupta and made him the first emperor of india.
Jan 06, 2012 kautilyas arthashastra book i, concerning discipline chapter i. The adventures of chanakya and chandragupta are told in a cycle of tales preserved in hindu, buddhist and jain books. Trautmann in his recently published book, arthashastrathe science of wealth. The science of good governance the arthashastra is the most comprehensive treatise of statecraft of classical times, and perhaps of all time. Dec 28, 2009 buy kautilyas arthashastra book online at best prices in india on. How kautilyas arthashastra shaped the telling of ancient.
The arthashastra was a book compiled to educate south asian leaders on statecraftthe practice of running a government. Every neighboring state is an enemy and the enemy s enemy is a friend. However, book vi of arthashastra briefly mentions the fort once again. Kautilyas arthasastra, composed around 321 bce, is the oldest and most exhaustive treatise on statecraft and on issues of diplomacy, war, peace, intelligence, security, and political economy. Book vi, the source of sovereign states, kautilya writes. The text was considered lost by colonial era scholars, until a manuscript was discovered in 1905. The book was discovered by shamasastri in 1909 who also translated and introduced it to the public. Chanakya arthashastragreatest book on spying and secret. Wendy doniger revisits kamasutra, arthashastra in new book wendy donigers new book is titled, beyond dharma. Kautilya quotes author of the arthashastra goodreads. Concerning a powerful enemy, book xii of arthashastra. The political science outlined in the arthashastra was aimed entirely at conquering ones enemy and his territory. Arthashastrabook vi wikisource, the free online library. Concerning a powerful enemy, book xii of arthashastra, makes a mention of those secret methods with which the king could collect information regarding the strength of the powerful king and his resources.
The rediscovery of indian realismstarting a new series. Book is concerned with the conquest of the enemy s fortified capital and how. Arthashastra the oldest book of management in the world. Chanakya, also known as kautilya or vishnugupta, was an adviser and a prime minister to the first maurya emperor chandragupta, and architect of his rise to power.
That my enemy, possessed as he is of immense power. The arrow shot by the archer may or may not kill a single person. Arthashastra is one of the oldest books with immense historical significance written by kautilya or arya chanakya as he was popularly known. Delving on the absence of a comparative study between san shi liuji and arthasastra, the author blames lack of interest among political scientists and strategic experts to. It is a book detailing how to manage a kingdom, or basically it deals with the art of government and politics. Kautilyas arthashastra 3 book i, concerning discipline chapter i. Book iv, chapter, punishment for violating justice he who causes a brahman to partake of whatever food or drink is prohibited shall be punished with the highest amercement. Arthashastra, ramayana and mahabharata recommend the proper use of coded language and signals. Buy arthashastra book online at low prices in india arthashastra. The qualification of a best suited fort for the king has been described in book two of arthashastra. Ahasan uddin bhuiyan department of public administration university of dhaka department of public administration univrsity of dhaka. Kautilya, also known as chanakya and vishnugupta, wrote the arthashastra in the second century ad though the date has not been conclusively established. The arthashastra of kautilya is one of the most impressive books that i have read in the recent years.
Aug 27, 2016 chanakya assisted the first mauryan emperor chandragupta in his rise to power. Such a writer, having attentively listened to the kings order. The arthashastra summarizes the political thoughts of kautilya. Arthashastrabook xii wikisource, the free online library. Arthasastra is an ancient indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy, written in sanskrit. Books of arthashashtra arthashastra is divided into 15 books. It is commonly believed that the author of the art of war, written by sun tsu. The author of the arthashastra is concerned with the rulers central control of a realm of fairly limited size. Likely to be the work of several authors over centuries, kautilya, also identified as vishnugupta and chanakya, is traditionally credited as the author of the text. He is widely credited for having played an important role in the establishment of the maurya empire. Introductory note nothing vindicates belief better than reality. Kautilya wrote about the way the states economy is organized, how ministers should be chosen, how war should be conducted, and how taxation should be arranged and distributed. Nazmul ahsan kalimullah professor, department of public administration university of dhaka submitted by.
On a site declared to be the best according to the science of buildings, the leader nayaka, the carpenter vardhaki, and the astrologer mauhurtika should measure a circular, rectangular, or square spot for the camp which should, in accordance with the available space, consist of four gates, six roads, and nine. Although the arthashastra is ostensibly authored by kautilya crooked, most scholars agree that kautilya was a pen name of the ancient indian minister chanakya. Chanakya was the author of 2 famous books arthashastra arthafinance, money, shastrascience, arthashastra was the science of economy. This was written in 150 ce, as advice to a king on how to run his kingdom. Arthashastra of chanakya english translation posted on november 2, 2009 by bharateeya the arthashastra is an ancient indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military trategy authored by chanakya 350283 bce. Shamasastry, 1915 book i, concerning discipline book ii, the duties of government superintendents. This arthasastra is made as a compendium of almost all the arthasastras, which, in view of acquisition and maintenance of the earth, have been composed by ancient teachers. Every neighbouring state is an enemy and the enemys enemy is a friend. While it is true that is offers views on how a kingruler shall act in order to overcome obstables it is just so much more. Kautilyas arthasastra was one of the greatest political books of the ancient world. Kautilyas arthasastra and sunzus san shi lui ji 36 stratagems.
This edition is dated to approximately 250 ce, many centuries after the time of kautilya, but the main ideas in this book are largely his. The arthashastra is divided into 15 books, 150 chapters, 180 sections and 6,000 slokas. It explains how a king can attack an enemy fort and when fire brands should be used in an attack, and so on. The king who is situated anywhere immediately on the circumference of the. The arthashastra, published in 2000 by penguin classics is the english edition of the classic treatise on classical economics and political science by the ancient indian philosopher kautilya. It is very likely that portions of it were written to guide the emperors of the mauryan empire, the first empire to be created in india, in the fourth century bce. This is just a rule book or administrationpolice manual. Kautilyas artha shastra on war and diplomacy in ancient india. Arthashastra the arthashastra discusses monetary and fiscal policies, welfare,international relations, and war strategies in detail.
It lists the fines that were levied for cattle theft to crimes against women to incest, and so on. When the conqueror is desirous of seizing an enemys village, he should infuse enthusiastic spirit among his own men and frighten his enemys people by giving publicity to his power of omniscience and close association with gods. I concerning discipline ii the duties of government superintendents iii concerning law iv the removal of thorns v the conduct of courtiers vi the source of sovereign states vii the end of the sixfold policy viii concerning vices and calamities ix the work of an. Charlie higsons new novel the enemy available 31st august 2009 from penguin books australia. Mar 04, 2018 the arthashastra summary the western world generally assumes that ancient indian literature lacked in strategic thinking. Kautilya the indian machiavelli wrote about the idea in the sanskrit military book, the arthashastra. Buy arthashastra book online at best prices in india on. The arthashastra is the title of a handbook for running an empire, written. Chanakya assisted the first mauryan emperor chandragupta in his rise to power. Jan 07, riku sayuj rated it it was amazing shelves.
Wendy doniger revisits kamasutra, arthashastra in new book. Jun 25, 2019 arthashastra and state we should never forget that the arthashastra means by the state an order of society which is not created by the king or the people, but which they exist to secure. The king, the minister, the country, the fort, the treasury, the army and the friend are the elements of sovereignty. Arthashastra is an excellent treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy. Arthashastra of chanakya english translation sanskrit.
The arthashastra is written mainly in prose but also incorporates 380 shlokas. He authored chanakya neeti, and arthashastra a political treatise. The author then focuses his attention to the royal treasury. This book is one of the most effective books ever written on the art of statecraft and the science of everyday living. However, it must be remembered that the mahabhashya is a book on grammar and only refers to historical personalities and events incidentally, in order to illustrate grammatical rules and megasthenes indica only survives in fragments paraphrased in the writings of later authors. Historically, the kautilyas work carries a great significance because it is an important source for the history of mauryas. Chanakya arthashastra greatest book on spying and secret agenies. This arthasastra is made as a compendium of almost all thearthasastras, which, in view of acquisition and maintenance of theearth, have been composed by ancient teachers. He is considered the author of the arthashastra, meaning a texts on wealth. It explains how a king can attack an enemy fort and when fire brands should be. The arthashastra is an indian book or a treatise that details the right qualities of a good king and how to achieve this state. He is widely credited for having played an important role in the. An extraordinary detailed manual on statecraft and the science of living by one of classical indias greatest minds, kautilya, also known as chanakya and vishnugupta, wrote the arthashastra not later than 150 ad though the date has not been conclusively established. But stratagems devised by wise men can kill even babes in the womb.
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