Neglected and decaying, the original arthashastra may soon be lost. The first great political realist is a succinct and penetrating analysis of one of the ancient worlds foremost political realists, kautilya. Aug 19, 2016 book 12 tells a weak king the ways in which he can defeat a strong king. Kautilya s arthashastra is the oldest book on management available to the world. Nov 16, 2017 there is one by penguin, translated by l. The text of this great book includes 15 books, each addressing one topic pertaining to the state and its economy. The arthashastra of kautilya or chanakya hindu website. Kautilya s treatise arthashastra stands as one of the great political books of the ancient world, its ideas on the science of politics strikingly similar to those of thucydides, machiavelli, hobbes, clausewitz, and even sun tsu. Kautilyas arthashastra telugu edition books for you. 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 and obligations of a king. The arthashastra is an ancient indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy, written in sanskrit. Buy arthashastra book online at low prices in india arthashastra. This book was lost for many centuries until a copy of it, written on palm leaves. Oct 14, 2000 the arthashastra is written mainly in prose but also incorporates 380 shlokas.
Kautilya arthashastra was written by chanakya also known as vishnugupta and kautilya derived from his gotra. Kautilyas arthashastra book ancient history encyclopedia. It is argued that the discussions in the arthashastra generally end by stating the authors opinion with the words. This palmleaf document is currently housed in mysurus cashstrapped oriental research institute. Arthashastra is a pioneering work on statecraft in all its aspects, written at least one thousand five hundred years ago. The text of rudrapatna shamasastrys 1915 english translation is readily available on the internet.
This is just a rule book or administrationpolice manual. Unfortunately, the greatness of kautilya remains unappreciated for want of a modern translation. There is a controversy regarding the date of arthashastra. It could still serve as a basic manual for kingship. That seems to be a very sensibly translated version. Danda, punishment, which alone can procure safety and security of life is, in its turn, dependent on discipline vinaya. 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. It deals with almost each and every aspect of the society.
The main focus of the book is on creation and management of wealth. The arthashastra is the title of a handbook for running an empire, written by kautilya also known as chanakya, c. Suggest to read kautilya arthshastra to every indian. Pronunciation of arthashastra with 2 audio pronunciations, 1 meaning, 2 translations, 1 sentence and more for arthashastra. This book is basically a collection of 380 shlokas which have been written in prose. The webs source of information for ancient history. The book was discovered by shamasastri in 1909 who also translated and introduced it to the public.
Dec 28, 2009 kautilyas arthashastra is a book about economics written by kautilya. It explains how a king can attack an enemy fort and when fire brands should be used in an attack, and so on. The science of material gain singularly important indian manual on the art of politics, attributed to kautilya also known as chanakya, who reportedly was chief minister to the emperor chandragupta c. The arthashastra by kautilya overdrive rakuten overdrive. Buy arthashastra book online at low prices in india. P kangle on kautilyas arthashastra book 1 shlokas totally in sanskit book 2 line by line translation of book 1 in english book 3 interpretation of kautilyas arthashstra subsequently also read.
It is divided into 15 different sections for the better understanding of the readers. Nothing comes free, there is need to develop skill, learn science and try to achieve target. Arthashastra is an excellent treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy. He is considered the author of the arthashastra, meaning a texts on wealth. The book itself is a very dry read, at least it was to me. Book is concerned with the conquest of the enemys fortified capital and how the conquered territories should be ruled. Kautilyas arthashastra telugu edition kautilya, also known as chanakya, is indias most illustrious political economist of all time. Kautilyas arthashastra is one of the best treatise written in the world, regarding how an ideal state should be. It lists the fines that were levied for cattle theft to crimes against women to incest, and so on. This book reveals a very interesting cultural look into early india, and is a great framework for examining the underpinnings of a society quite different by todays norms. Kautilyas arthashastra by chanakya nook book ebook. The arthashastra quotes showing 16 of 6 for in the absence of a magistrate dandadharabhave, the strong will swallow the weak. Arthashastra is an excellent treatise on statecraft, economic policy and. The dissertation was written in sanskrit by chanakya, the teacher to the founder of the mauryan empire.
Kautilyas arthashastra 3 book i, concerning discipline chapter i. The first chapter of the first book is an ancient table of contents, while the last chapter of the last book is a short 73 verse epilogue asserting that all thirty two yukti elements of correct reasoning methods were deployed to create the text. Which is the best english translation of kautilyas arthashastra. Either by inducing foreigners to immigrate paradesapravahanena or by causing the thicklypopulated centres of his own kingdom to send forth the excessive population svadesabhishyandavamanena va, the king may construct villages either on new sites or on old ruins. The title arthashastra is often translated to the science of politics, but the book arthashastra has a broader scope. The word no suggestions originates from a primeval indian dissertation that discussed how the economy and military affairs of a state should function.
This book was lost for many centuries until a copy of it, written on palm leaves, was rediscovered in india in 1904 ce. Kautilya s arthashastra is an excellent treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy. Arthashastra article about arthashastra by the free dictionary. Buy kautilyas arthashastra book online at low prices in. Preface both kautilya the preceptor and his masterwork the arthashastra are much misunderstood.
Authorship is ascribed to kautilya fourth century b. He regarded economic activity as the driving force behind the functioning of any political dispensation. That is because it deals with humans at the centre of politics, and humans have not changed all that much in terms of motivation, emotions and goals. All means to win a war are appropriate in the arthashastra, including assassination of enemy leaders, sowing discord in its leadership, engagement of covert men and women in the pursuit of military objectives and as weapons of war, deployment of accepted superstitions and propaganda to bolster ones own troops or to demoralize enemy soldiers, as well as open hostilities by deploying kingdoms armed forces. For a book on statecraft that was written over two thousand years ago the arthashastrakautilya is remarkably accurate and upto date. Kautilya arthashastra chanakya arthashastra indian. Chanakyan has entered indian vocabulary as the equivalent of machiavellian. The whole book is just a list of dos and donts for a king. Kautilya s arthashastra is divided into 15 books may be considered as volume with several parts of each book.
It lists the fines that were levied for cattle theft to crimes. The economics of a society or industry is the system of organizing money and trade in it. Indras kautilya arthashastra is the updated, modern hindi translation of chanakyas ancient seminal work. Arthashastra is one of the oldest books with immense historical significance written by kautilya or arya chanakya. Kautilya arthashastra is a book of statecraft, that emphasized. Smith and others believed that it was written by chanakya, the prime minister of chandragupta maurya. How kautilyas arthashastra shaped the telling of ancient. An extraordinary detailed manual on statecraft and the science of living by one of classical indias greatest minds.
It is a book detailing how to manage a kingdom, or basically it deals with the art of government and politics. Historically, the kautilyas work carries a great significance because it is an important source for the history of mauryas. In order to run countrystateown family or group of people, we should be organise and equip with all possible means. The title arthashastra is often translated to the science of politics, but the book arthashastra has a. The final volume is a scholarly discussion on the text and the debate and controversies regarding the book and its famous author. Jan 30, 2020 kautilya s arthashastra is an excellent treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy. Arthashastrabook ii wikisource, the free online library.
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. The arthashastra is an ancient indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military trategy authored by chanakya 350283 bce. Popularly known as chanakya, he is maligned and often ridiculed as a teacher of unethical, not to say immoral, practices and as an advocate of the theory that the ends justify the means. The arthashastra is apparently one of the first books on political theory and was written in the 3rd century bc. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Book ii,the duties of government superintendents chapter i.
Jan 19, 2017 kautilya was a professor at taxila university and later the prime minister of the maurya empire. Chanakya arthashastra pdf in hindi, english, sanskrit all. Strategy and economics of logistics in a book i wrote in 2004. Rangarajan l n, kautilya the arthashastra, penguin. 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 oriental research institute ori, set up in 1891 by the then maharaja of mysore, is a magnificent heritage building, blending architectural styles such as gothic, corinthian and romanesque, and housing nearly 60,000 palmleaf manuscripts from antiquity. When literally translated, it means scripture of wealth. 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. The arthashastra is an indian book or a treatise that details the right qualities of a good king and how to achieve this state. Arthashastra of chanakya english translation sanskrit ebooks. Jul 21, 2016 this years 20 army war college included readings from kautilya s arthashastra, and it provides a very interesting break from the sun tzu, clausewitz and jomini routine. Excerpthence the first three sciences out of the four are dependent for their wellbeing on the science of government. The book itself is doesnt solely focus on political issues, but talks about statecraft, economy, military stragety and other topics.
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