kautilya's Arthasastra - (2 Vols Set) English Translation

The political ideas of Kautilya are enumerated in the Arthasastra. The book includes in-depth knowledge on several subjects that are important for leaders who want to manage their governments well. The two topics covered in the most detail in the text are diplomacy and war (including military tactics), although there are also suggestions regarding taxation, irrigation, agriculture, mining, fortifications, currency, manufacture, trade, administrations, spies, and law.

The Arthasastra delves into matters of social welfare and the collective ethics that bind a society together. It advises the king to start public projects like building forts around important strategic holdings and towns, creating irrigation waterways, and exempting those affected from taxes during times of famine, epidemic, and other natural disasters. The book had an impact on later Hindu literature, including the Manusmrti's sections on kingship, governance, and legal processes.

Although Kautilya, also known as Visnugupta and Canakya, is typically acknowledged as the text's author, it is likely that numerous authors collaborated over centuries to create the work. Up to its disappearance in the 12th century, the Arthasastra held significant influence. R. Samasastri rediscovered it in 1905 and published it in 1909. In 1915, the first English translation was released.

This book includes the original Sanskrit text, a verse-by-verse translation into English, R. Samasasti's comments, and a thorough introduction written by Dr. Ashok Kumar Shukla.