Jun 08, 2018 a few weeks ago i put up a note on my linkedin see above about books that can form the building blocks to our understanding of just about everything there is to know in this universe. I have seen some earlier postscomments on the site stating that chanakyas arthashastra cannot be taken as a part of hindu scriptures. It is one of the standard books in the hindu canon and. From military tactics, diplomacy and law to spycraft, taxation and prison maintenance, the arthashastra took a nononsense, unflinching approach to ruling with a firm hand.
Arthashastra simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The arthashastra is the title of a handbook for running an empire, written by. Kautilyas arthashastra book i, concerning discipline chapter i. When literally translated, it means scripture of wealth. The arrow shot by the archer may or may not kill a single person. Buy kautilyas arthashastra book online at low prices in. An extraordinary detailed manual on statecraft and the science of living by one of classical indias greatest minds. Kautilya was an academician at taxila university and later the prime minister of the mauryan empire.
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. This book was lost for many centuries until a copy of it, written on palm leaves, was rediscovered in india in 1904 ce. Book ii,the duties of government superintendents chapter i. Kautilyas arthashastra is the oldest book on management available to the world. In all probability, this treatise is the first ever book written on practice of management. Arthashstra written in the 4th century before christ is a work whose relevance has not faded even after 24 centuries have gone by. The arthashastra is an indian book or a treatise that details the right qualities of. Arthashastra backs rational ethic to the conduct of the affairs of the state. There is a controversy regarding the date of arthashastra. Arthashastra deals in detail with the disciplines required for a wise and virtuous. This years 20 army war college included readings from kautilyas arthashastra, and it provides a very interesting break from the sun tzu, clausewitz and jomini routine. Arthasastra manohar parrikar institute for defence studies.
The arthasastra by chanakya is a 2500yearold masterpiece on governance, economics and politics. Alastair iain johnston has provided a viable notion of strategic culture that is falsifiable, its formation traced empirically, and its. Now, fortu nately, many english translations are available. It is divided into 15 different sections for the better understanding of the readers. As outlined in this answer, arthashastra is one of the upa vedas. Here are the pdfs of the book in english, hindi and sanskrit. The book is divided into 15 books each detailing different situations and different descriptions and solutions. Kautilya is known as the indian machiavelli because of his ruthless and shrewd tactics and policies reflecting an approach to statecraft including warfare. Oct 21, 2014 kautilyas saptang theory of state the mauryan era of ancient india gave the world a significant treatise, the arthashastra of kautilya. Hellenistic impact on indian culture history discussion.
Aryan arthashastra ghosts in ancient japan origins and. Ait serves as the best source for understanding everyday life at various social levels. I read arthashastra recently and i felt it was more towards administration,government and military strategies rather than a business. 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. Bayly brings to our notice what eric stokes has written in his book the peasant armed. A book of proper moral behavior and social relationships.
Though india had maintained its trade and commercial contacts with other parts of the world, a new dimension was added by the invasion of the great greek hero alexander in the last quarter of 4th century b. What is popularly seen as per the mahabharta is krishna emerging as a renowned strategist. Arthasastra is an ancient indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy which identifies its author by the names kautilya and vi. The arthashastra is the title of a handbook for running an empire, written by kautilya also known as chanakya, c. The book was discovered by shamasastri in 1909 who also translated and introduced it to the public. Sweeping and majestic economic history of the whole world by angus maddison. The arthashastra more precisely arthasastra refers to a tradition of political statecraft. 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. Kautilyas arthashastra is an excellent treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy. The fame of arthashastra and shamashastry was so widespread that krishnaraja wodeyar iv, the then maharaja of mysore, had a strange encounter in germany.
Arthashastra, the treatise on economic administration was written by kautilya in the 4th century before christ. The arthashastra of kautilya is one of the most impressive books that i have read in the recent years. The work is highly cherished in the tamil culture, as reflected by its nine different traditional titles. Book 1 on fundamentals of management, book 2 dealing with economics, books 3, 4 and 5 on law, books 6, 7 and 8 on foreign policies and books 9 to 14 dealing with war. At a party, he apparently ran into the vicechancellor of a german university and introduced himself, whereupon he was asked if he was from the land of shamashastry. During the first century of british rule, there were a series of uprisings which kathleen gough has called restorative rebellions as they were started by disaffected local rulers, mughal officials or dispossessed. In the last book of kautilyas arthashastra, kautilya had discussed the methodology of. The influence of greek classics on indian culture in ancient era. The arthashastra is so much a part of modern indian vocabulary on politics, economics and society that it is hard to imagine that this was a book unknown to the englishspeaking world until an. Arthashastra of chanakya english translation sanskrit. Saptanga theory had been formulated by kautilya and mentioned in hi book, arthashastra share this article. Arthashastrabook ii wikisource, the free online library. Arthashastra should be read simply for its sheer brilliance in the area of statecraft and.
How kautilyas arthashastra shaped the telling of ancient indian. The chanakya niti, another book by chanakya is available here. Kautilya was a minister of chandragupta maurya 321 bc 297 bc, an emperor of ancient india. For instance, the following were codified a procedure for interrogation, torture, trial, the rights of the accused, constitution of permissible evidence, a procedure for autopsy in case of death in suspicious circumstances, constitution of deformation. 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. This book is basically a collection of 380 shlokas which have been written in prose. The arthashastra summarizes the political thoughts of kautilya. Actually, the book is a masterpiece which covers a wide range of topics like statecraft. Arthashastra pdf downloads hindi, english, sanskrit.
It can be commented that their additions to indian culture have become integral and considerable part of indian cultural melting pot. 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. The legend says that vritra kept all the waters trapped in his mountain lair, and indra was the one who slew the demon in order to release the waters. The book is a masterwork which includes an array of topics like statecraft, politics, strategy, selection and training of employees, leadership skills, legal systems, accounting systems, taxation, fiscal policies, civil rules, internal and foreign trade etc. Book 4 is a treatise on criminal law, where the king or officials acting on his behalf, take the initiative and start the judicial process against acts of crime. Which is the best english translation of kautilyas. Dit is a political manual much like indias arthashastra.
I wanted to know whether this is the same arthashastra written by rishi chanakya. Kautilya, also known as chanakya, was believed to be the chief minister in the court of chandragupta maurya, a contemporary of alexander and the first great emperor of india who ruled the subcontinent in the 4th century bc. Our mission is to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve. 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. 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. The author of arthashastra uses the term gramakuta to describe a village official. Leaders, managers and executives, will need to think, act and lead differently, with a more caring management style, to cope with the global challenges in the 21st. The first chapter of the first book is an ancient table of contents, while the last chapter. Sep 23, 2016 continuing the series of extracts from the arthashastra, this article will explain the rajamandala theory of chanakya and see if we can view modern geopolitics through its prism this is one of. He is considered the author of the arthashastra, meaning a texts on wealth. Both explains that the only way to create order is to have a strong leader that. The arthashastra of kautilya or chanakya hindu website.
The latter was a scholar at takshashila, the teacher and guardian of emperor. The arthashastra is an ancient indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy, written in sanskrit. Kautilyas arthashastra and perspectives on organizational. Arthashastra is divided into 15 book titles, 150 chapters and 180 topics, as follows. It hardly mat ters which translation is used, because all are accurate. Ancient indian culture and civilisation, a historical outline.
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 word no suggestions originates from a primeval indian dissertation that discussed how the economy and military affairs of a state should function. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. Divided into 3 sections of leadership, management and training corporate chanakya includes tips on various topics like organizing and conducting effective meetings, dealing with tricky situations, managing. May 10, 2019 5 management lessons from mahabharta for mba aspirantsgraduates. Buy arthashastra book online at low prices in india. The title arthashastra is often translated to the science of politics, but the book arthashastra has a broader scope. The arthashastra, dating from the 400 bce, and the manusmriti, from 100 ce, were influential laws in indian. Chanakya arthashastra pdf in hindi, english, sanskrit. Kautilyas arthashastra 3 book i, concerning discipline chapter i. The main focus of the book is on creation and management of wealth. I was trying to avoid getting entangled in a topic like this, because everybody who can read english thinks he or she knows about history.
Dilip yes book 6 of arthashastra deals with that topic. So greek culture is otherwise known as hellenic culture to the rest of the world. After many revisions and additions, the book took its present form about 1800 years before, in the 2nd century the book is divided into fifteen sections. The kautilya text thereafter asserts that it is the vedas that discuss what is dharma. 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.
It consists of 15 chapter, 380 shlokas and 4968 sutras. 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. He talks about the higher powers of the government more than about running a business. Recommended for youthe 15 books of arthashastra of chanakya,in which includes only names of these books,which is written by kautilya.
Koshambi, the culture and civilization of ancient india delhi. In simple way, arthashastra can be explained as science and art of politics and diplomacy. The influence of greek classics on indian culture in ancient era 197 the contribution of greeks in indian knowledge and culture is so profound that it has maintained to survive more than two millenniums. The word is generally used as a suffix in the indian literature context, for technical or specialized knowledge in a defined area of practice shastra has a similar meaning to english logy, e. Arthasastra is an ancient indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy, written in sanskrit. The book is divided into 15 parts dealing with different subject matters related to polity, economy, and society. Smith and others believed that it was written by chanakya, the prime minister of chandragupta maurya. Kautilyas arthashastra is a book about economics written by kautilya. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. The dissertation was written in sanskrit by chanakya, the teacher to the founder of the mauryan empire.
Bit explains the complexity of the mandate of heaven. Management and life lessons from mahabharta for mba aspirants. Servant leadershipservant leadership principles, practices. Alastair iain johnston has provided a viable notion of strategic culture that is falsifiable, its formation traced empirically, and its effect on state behaviour differentiated from other nonideational variables. Kangles 1972, part ii translation of the arthashastra is considered the most authentic but is somewhat pedantic, and in. Kautilya goes on to explain each of these individual components and stresses the. How kautilyas arthashastra shaped the telling of ancient. The arthashastra is basically an empirerunning guidebook with detailed information about ruling a kingdom that predated machiavelli by about 1,800 years. Indian strategic culture and grand strategic preferences. The arthashastra is an ancient indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military trategy authored by chanakya 350283 bce. Book 3 of the arthashastra, states trautmann, is dedicated to civil law, including sections relating to economic relations of employer and employee, partnerships, sellers and buyers.
The text of this great book includes 15 books, each addressing one topic pertaining to the state and its economy. Legend has it that he was either a brahmin from kerala or from north india. However, the modern system of accounting based on the principles of double entry. Arthashastra is the evidence of the intellectual capital india possessed in its glorious past. Kautilya, the machiavelli of india education today news. This paper will explain the servant leadership styles and practices in the usa, arab culture and china. The final version of arthashastra was written in the 4 th century b. The word is generally used as a suffix in the indian literature context, for technical or specialized knowledge in a defined area of practice. This book not only relates to politics and economics, but also explain the art of proper keeping of accounts.
Definitive list of 50 books to understand everything. Management values in kautilyas arthashastra essay example. Arthashastra represents a system of civil, criminal and mercantile law. The arthashastra refers to a practice of political diplomacy that arose in india, and is epitomized by the written material on position, policy and military strategy written by kautilya.
This treatise is divided into sixteen books dealing with virtually every topic concerned with the running of a state, taxation, law, diplomacy, military strategy, economics, bureaucracy etc. The vedas describe indra as the god who wields the thunderbolt, and his most celebrated story was the killing of the demonserpent vritra. Arthasastra manohar parrikar institute for defence. The laws of manu also called the manava dharma shastra is traditionally accepted as one of the supplementary arms of the vedas. The 15 books contained in the arthashastra can be classified in the following manner. Why is the book of songs especially valuable for people studying early zhou china. But stratagems devised by wise men can kill even babes in the womb. That seems to be a very sensibly translated version. Aug 30, 2010 chanakya ideas on how to identify leaders and groom them to govern a country has been well documented in his book kautilyas arthashastra. The utility of the theory of strategic culture to explain the choices nationstates make is still to be convincingly proven. It is argued that the discussions in the arthashastra generally end by stating the authors opinion with the words.
He has written several books about hinduism for children and young adults. Saptanga theory which has been mentioned in arthashastra includes all the seven organs of the state which has been separately elaborated among the various volumes of arthashastra. This book stated that men were to respect women, but that women had to be subordinate to and dependent on the men in their lives. Feb 10, 2020 henry kissinger in his book world order described chanakyas arthashastra as avantgarde that established hard power as a dominant reality in politics and validated realism much earlier than. 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. The arthashastra of chanakya 3 in his book, world order penguin books, 2014, henry kissinger refers to the ancient indian treatise, the arthashastra, as a work that lays out the requirements of power, which is the dominant reality in politics. The arthashastra is an ancient indian treatise on statecraft, econ. Arthashastra is a book on statecraft written by kautilya during the maurya period.
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