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Mauryan ringstone, Northwest Pakistan, 3rd century BCE. (British Museum, London)
Arthashastra, Duties of a King
(c. fourth century B.C.)
Arthashastra, Duties of a King
(c. fourth century B.C.)
BACKGROUND: The Arthashastra (roughly, “science of politics”) has often been attributed to Chānaka (c.350-283 B.C.), a prime minister of Chandragupta Maurya during the early phases of the Mauryan Empire. The text is very broad-ranging, covering issues ranging from war making to law enforcement, the conservation of forests, economic policy, the use of spies, and the education of future leaders. The excerpt below is one of the few references to religion from the text.
BOOK IX, "THE WORK OF AN INVADER,"
CHAPTER I. THE KNOWLEDGE OF POWER, PLACE, TIME, STRENGTH, AND WEAKNESS; THE TIME OF INVASION
THE conqueror should know the comparative strength and weakness of himself and of his enemy; and having ascertained the power, place, time, the time of marching and of recruiting the army, the consequences, the loss of men and money, and profits and danger, he should march with his full force; otherwise, he should keep quiet. ...
My teacher says that of power (money and army) and skill in intrigue, power is better. ...
No, says Kautilya, skill for intrigue is better; he who has the eye of knowledge and is acquainted with the science of polity can with little effort make use of his skill for intrigue and can succeed by means of conciliation and other strategic means and by spies and chemical appliances in over-reaching even those kings who are possessed of enthusiasm and power
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