Page 7 - Jul - Sep 2021

VOL. 18 No. 3
AMAZING ARTHASHASTRA

The Arthashastra is a primeval Indian discourse on statecraft, economic policy,
and military strategy. It is written in Sanskrit, and discusses theories and
principles of governing a state.

Prince Kumar Dubey, Class 9 B, Army Public School, Beas
DISCOVERY

The text was considered lost by colonial era scholars, until a manuscript
was discovered in 1905 by a Sanskrit Scholar Rudrapatna Shamashastri. This
manuscript was Arthashasta of Kautilya or Chanakya (c.350-275 BCE) who was
the Prime Minister in the court of Chandragupta Maurya (322-185 BCE).
CONTENT

The name of the work comes from the Sanskrit words Artha (‘aim’ or ‘goal’)
and Shastra (‘treatise’ or ‘book’) and the goal of the work is a comprehensive
understanding of statecraft which will enable a monarch to rule eff ectively. ACTIVITY:
It is in the form of 600 hymns.
If I Were King
SECTIONS Arthashastra talks about the qualities of

The book is divided into fi fteen sections. Diff erent sections of the book talk a good king and the concept of welfare
about many subjects, such as: war and politics ‘rule with a harsh hand’. The state.
main sections are: Can you bring out fi ve points (related to
WILDLIFE AND
DUTIES OF THE CIVIL AND DEFENCE FORESTS a welfare state) which you would like to
RULER CRIMINAL LAW see in a good leader?
CORPORATIONS QUALIFICATIONS OF JUDICIARY CIVIL SERVICES
AND GUILDS MINISTERS

DIVINE DHARMASHASTRAS
ACTIVITY:
The King's Enemies! The Dharmashastras were Sanskrit
texts which bring out the social and
Do you know what the King’s internal religious conditions of ancient India of
enemies are? They are desire, greed, lust, 3rd to 5th century CE. The Manusmriti
pride, anger, and ego as listed in the (c. 100 CE) deals with four classes
Arthashastra. (varnas), the Yajnavalkya Smriti (c. 500
CE) deals with customs and the judicial
Can you name a few kings who lost their
kingdoms due to ‘internal enemies‘? process, and the Naradasmriti (c. 600 Illustration by Saloni Swarup, Class
CE) deals only with juridical matters. 12 F, Centre Point School, Katol Road,
Nagpur

PURANAS

The word ‘Purana’ means old.
While the Puranas are generally
credited to the sage Vyasa,
they were actually written
over several years by several
people! There are 18 Great or
Mahapuranas and many more
Secondary or Upapuranas.

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