The Authoring and composition of Arthashastra

The book, Arthashastra itself tells us its origin thus:- “ This Shastra,” says the author at the end of the book, “has been written by him who, with knowledge in his head and weapon in his hand, snatched with irresistible force, the earth from Nanda.” After a long debate, it has been probabilistically marked that the period of the Arthashastra has been marked as probably somewhere between BC 321 – BC 298; assuming that Kautilya lived during this period and served Chandragupta Maurya as his able minister and advisor. Fig: 1. Amid these chronological puzzlements, the scholars of ancient Indian history have converged their research unanimously on the fact that Kautilya was an authentic interpreter of social traditions, ethnic equations, management concepts and the economic and political aspirations of his epoch. Listen to the Text

Arthashastra, the Bible of political administration and diplomacy, combines to form a blend of curious speculations on physics, psychology, logic, ethics, metaphysics and political administration. I.N. Menon states, “Arthashastra is a sustained effort at treating in an exhaustive if not thoroughly systematic manner a variety of social, economic and political and management problems in the light of antecedent historical evolution and contemporary political and inter-state organization”. {Foreword by I.N. Menon, Kautilya Arthashastra by K.V.M., 1935.}

Arthashastra is considered to be the first incomparable doctoral thesis written on political diplomacy. The book itself has shown the fact that Kautilya conducted a series of in-depth studies and research analysis about the subject. This analytical quality of Kautilya is very much evident while citing his views in contrast with those of other scholars on the controversial points of economics and political administration; the author always uses such phrases as: – “But Kautilya says thus,” or “Kautilya objects to it,” implying that Kautilya has applied his analytical skill to test the hypothesis. Accordingly, many errors which crept into the pre-versions of Arthashastra have been traced out and removed and an attempt has been made to pronounce a final judgment with precise words, doctrines and sense on Arthashastra. “This Arthashastra is a compendium of almost similar treatises, composed by ancient teachers, on the acquisition and protection of territory. Easy to grasp and understand, free from verbosity, Kautilya has composed this treatise with precise words, doctrines and sense” {Book.1.Chapter.1.Verses.1, 19.}.