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Arthashastra
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'''''Kautilya's Arthashastra''' (, ; ) is an Ancient Indian Sanskrit treatise on statecraft, politics, economic policy and military strategy. The text is likely the work of several authors over centuries, starting as a compilation of Arthashastras, texts which according to Olivelle date from the 2nd c. BCE to the 1st c. CE. These earlier treatises were compiled and amended in a new treatise, according to McClish and Olivelle in the 1st century CE by either an anonymous author or Kautilya, though earlier and later dates have also been proposed. While often regarded as created by a single author
In the Vinony graph
Vinony's link graph records 2,086 inbound references to Arthashastra, and connects out to Tirukkuṟaḷ, Naalayira Divya Prabhandham and Sanskrit.
It is catalogued under topics including Ancient Indian literature, Hindu texts and Military strategy books.
Vinony links it to 48 Wikipedia language editions.
Book · Open Library
- Author
- Kauṭalya.
- First published
- 1923
- Editions
- 39
- Subjects
- Early works to 1800, History, Political science, Politics and government, Social conditions, State, The, The State, Political science, india
via Open Library
Key facts
- Religious text.image
- Rediscovered circa 16th century Arthashastra manuscript in Grantha script from the Oriental Research Institute (ORI) which was found in 1905 03.jpg
- Religious text.alt
- 16th century Arthashastra manuscript in Grantha script kept at the Oriental Research Institute, Mysore
- Religious text.caption
- 16th century Arthashastra manuscript in Grantha script kept at the Oriental Research Institute, Mysore
- Religious text.religion
- Hinduism
- Religious text.author
- multiple authors; main compiler or redactor Kautilya, also known as Vishnugupta and Chanakya, as later additions and traditions also mention Vishnugupta and Chanakya.
- Religious text.language
- Sanskrit
- Religious text.name
- ''Kautilya's Arthashastra''
- Religious text.period
- 1st-3rd century ce; traditional dating 3rd century BCE
- Religious text.wikisource
- Arthashastra
via Wikipedia infobox
~57 min read
Encyclopedic overview
41 sectionsContents
- Structure, dating, and authorship
- History of the manuscripts
- Translation of the title
- Structure
- Translations and scholarship
- Dating, chronology and layers of the text
- Single or multiple authorship
- Overview of scholarly treatments
- Authorship
- Kauṭilya or Kauṭalya
- Vishnugupta
- Chanakya
- Anachronistic historical elements
- Geography - written in Gujarat
- Contents
- Organisation
- The need for law, economics and government
- Raja (king)
- Officials, advisors and checks on government
- Causes of impoverishment, lack of motivation and disaffection among people
- Civil, criminal law and court system
- Marriage laws
- Wildlife and forests
- Mines, factories and superintendents
- On spying, propaganda and information
- On war and peace
- Foreign policy
- On regulations and taxes
- Pregnancy and abortion
- Influence and reception
- Comparisons to Machiavelli
- Views on the role of the state
- Views on property and markets
- Book on strategy anticipating all scenarios
- Realism
- In popular culture
- See also
- Notes
- References
- Sources
- External links
'''''Kautilya's Arthashastra''' (, ; ) is an Ancient Indian Sanskrit treatise on statecraft, politics, economic policy and military strategy. The text is likely the work of several authors over centuries, starting as a compilation of Arthashastras, texts which according to Olivelle date from the 2nd c. BCE to the 1st c. CE. These earlier treatises were compiled and amended in a new treatise, according to McClish and Olivelle in the 1st century CE by either an anonymous author or Kautilya, though earlier and later dates have also been proposed. While often regarded as created by a single author, McClish and Olivelle argue that this compilation, possibly titled Daņdanīti, served as the basis for a major expansion and redaction in the 2nd or 3rd century CE by either Kautilya or an anonymous author, when several books, dialogical comments, and the disharmonious chapter-division were added, and a stronger Brahmanical ideology was brought in. The text thus became a proper arthashastra, and was retitled to Kautilya's Arthashastra''.
Two names for the text's compilor or redactor are used in the text, Kauṭalya (Kautilya) and Vishnugupta. Chanakya (375–283 BCE), the legendary counsellor of Chandragupta Maurya, is implied in a later interpolation, reinforced by Gupta-era and medieval traditions, which explicitly identified Kautilya with Chanakya. This identification started during the Gupta reign (c. 240–c. 579), strengthening the Gupta's ideological presentation as heirs of the Mauryas. However, the identification has been questioned by scholarship, and rejected by the main studies on the topic since 1965, because of stylistic differences within the text which point to multiple authorship, as well as historical elements which are anachronistic for the Mauryan period, but fit in the first centuries of the Common Era. The Arthashastra was influential until the 12th century, when it disappeared. It was rediscovered in 1905 by R. Shamasastry, who published it in 1909. The first English translation, also by Shamasastry, was published in 1915.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “Arthashastra” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.