International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development

International Journal of Multidisciplinary Research and Development Online ISSN: 2349-4182, Print ISSN: 2349-5979, Impact Factor: RJIF 5.72
Volume 4; Issue 3; March 2017; Page No. 78-80

Political thoughts of Kautilya: An overview

Mithun Howladar
Research Scholar, Department of Sanskrit, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Purulia, West Bengal, India

Abstract
Kautilya was the Prime Minister of Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Mauryan Empire, who defeated the Greek ruler
Seleukos and the mighty Nandas whose empire stretched over a large part of eastern India. Political thoughts of Kautilya are
summarized in a book he wrote known as the Arthashastra, a Sanskrit name. ‘Arthashastra’ can be explained as ‘Science and art of
politics and diplomacy.’ Kautilya’s Arthashastra is magnificent work on ancient political thought which was undoubtedly
composed between 3rd -2nd century B.C. In his political and administrative ideas, the focus of attention was the king. Kautilya
used power as a tool to control his society as well as his enemies. He aslo believed that it is the king’s duty to seek material gain,
spiritual good and pleasures. Kautilya thinks that for a king to attain these three goals must create wealth, have armies and should
conquer the kingdoms and enlarge the size of his state. He thought that for the smooth functioning of administration and for the
welfare of the people, the king had to be acquainted in the four vedas and four sciences of government (Anviksiki, Trayi, Varta and
Dandaniti). Kautilya proclaimed that politics was the supreme science and supreme art. In this paper, I have discussed elaborately
Kautilya’s political ideology.

Keywords: kautilya, politics, arthashastra, war, diplomacy, mandala theory, dandaniti, anviksiki, trayi, varta

Introduction Kautilya’s Arthashastra is a draft constitution of an ideal state.

The historical process of tradition of Indian Politics is Due to his political wisdom and diplomatic skills in empire
primeval and traced back to the period of Vedas. The building, chanakya is called ‘Machiavelli of India [3]. Kautilya
deliberations regarding politics are found in ‘Smritis’ and several times more clever and superior political thinker. If we
‘Puranas’ by the name ‘dandaniti’. References to various compare statesman on the four dimension frame work of war
political texts are available which studied and discovered the and peace, Human Rights, International Economic Justice and
concept of ‘dandaniti’. The study of ancient Indian political World order Kautilya had a strong opinion on all the four
thought is considered incomplete without the knowledge of aspects. In fact people like Bismark and Woodrow Wilson in
Arthashastra written by Kautilya. Arthashastra is one of the recent history had been able to demonstrate their views only
most persuasive and comprehensive treatises in political on two of the four dimensions. kautilya’s work is primarily a
science in the Indian Vedic civilization [1]. Kautilya made book of political realism where State is paramount and king
politics a scientific study in ancient India, and attempted to shall carry out duties as advised in his book to preserve his
test the political ideas on scientific lines with empirical state. Kautilya’s work differed from existing political theory in
orientation. Many stated Kautilya as the first political realist in that it talked about ways of running the administration which
the world. Kautilya was the minister in the Kingdom of were based more on self-interest than on morality. Kautilya
Chandragupta Maurya during 317-293 B.C. He has been was far more successful as he first taught his realist
considered as one of the shrewdest ministers of the times. philosophy to Chandra Gupta right from his childhood and
Kautilya’s Arthashastra is a masterwork which includes an then helped him to become an emperor. In this way, Kautilya
array of topics like statecraft, politics, strategy, selection and was a successful King-maker or he was successful in making a
training of employees, leadership skills, legal systems, philosopher king.
accounting systems, taxation, fiscal policies, civil rules, Kautilya was a proponent of a welfare state but definitely
internal and foreign trade etc. After alexander left India, The encouraged war for preserving the power of the state. He
Mauryan Empire was the most powerful Kingdom in India and thought that the possession of power and happiness in a state
kautilya was minister who advised the king. Chanakya (C.350- makes a king superior hence a king should always strive to
C.275BC) also known as Kautilya or Vishnugupta [2]. He was augment his power. This actually coincides with the weber’s
the man to envision the first Indian empire by unification of view that there is no moral in international politics which
the then numerous Kingdoms in the Indian sub-continent and means that states must be at war all the times. Kautilya though
provide the impet us for fights against the Greek conqueror did not state this explicitly but we can infer that he did
Alexander. His foresigh and wide knowledge coupled with presume to be at war is natural for a state. A war in certain
politics of expediency helped found the mighty Mauryan cases is unavoidable, hence, preparation and maintenance of
Empire in India. Kautilya is perhaps less well known outside the army, the right moves in the battle field and warfare
India compared to other social and political philosophers of strategies all are essential in the defence of a country, subjects
the world like confucius and Machiavelli, but is definitely which Kautilya tackles with the extra sensory precision.
considered to be the first genuine political theorist in Indian Kautilya’s goal remained to enable the king to achieve
history. complete power. In his opinion, the king had to be disciplined
1
and hardworking, sleeping only four hours a night. A king also incentives), Bedhna (divide and rule policy) and Danda
had to avoid anger and lust, because a kingdom was at stake.
Kautilya advocated three types of war– Open war, Concealed
war and the Silent war. Open war he describes as the war
fought between states, Concealed war as one which is similar
to guerilla war and silent war which is fought on a continued
basis inside the Kingdom so that the power of the king does
not get diluted. War fighting tactics. Kautilya was also very
harsh in narrating the exact methods of fighting a war and use
of various tools to reduce the strength of a state. He believed
that there were three types of Kings who go into warfare and it
is important to understand the distinction between the types of
Kings and the appropriate warfare strategy to be selected.
Kautilya wrote in detain explaining the war strategy because
he was a strong proponent of social structure. He vehemently
defends the state and believes that religion and morals are
supposed to serve the state. kautilya believes that war is a
means to an end for wealth and stability.
Kautilya believed that nations acted in their political,
economic and military self-interest. According to Kautilya,
foreign policy or diplomacy will be practiced as long as the
self-interest of the state is served because every state acts in a
way to maximize the power and self-interest. He thought that
diplomacy is a series of actions taken by a kingdom such that
it gains strength and eventually conquers that nation with
which diplomatic ties were created. He also thought that
treaties should be made in such a way that king benefits and
serves the self-interest of the kingdom. Kautilya described
three types of political system such as rule making, rule
application and rule adjudication and has been recognized for
his contributions to bringing diplomacy at the helm of state’s
affairs. To understand Kautilya’s concept of diplomacy it is
important to understand the Mandala concept, six types of
foreign policy and four solutions [4]. “Your neighbour is your
natural enemy and the neighbour’s neighbour is your friend”–
this was the basic thought behind Kautilya’s Mandala theory.
According to this theory foreign rules are classified into four
groups. Ari, Mitra, Madhyama and Udasina. Inimical and
friendly rulers are divided into two kinds natural and artificial.
kautilya thought that the king and his immediate neighbours
are the natural enemies to each other. A king who attempted to
give trouble to another king without reasonable cause was an
artificial enemy of that king. Kautilya believed that the best
kind of friend who was constant, noble, straight forward and
whose friendship is inherited from father or grandfather. A
ruler whose friendship was courted for the sake of protection
of life and property was the artificial friend. According to
Kautilya, the ruter whose territory was situated close to that of
a king and his wicked enemy and who was capable of helping
both the kings or of resisting either of them was a Mediator
and the ruler whose territory was situated between the
territories of two rival kings and who was powerful enough to
help or resist either of them or a mediating king was Neutral.
The neighbouring king belong to either of four classes,
Parshnigraha, Akaranda, Parshnigrahasana and Akarandasara.
According to Kautilya, a powerful king should always try to
make himself Nabhi of the Mandala. Depending on the
situation the king should adopt any of Asana, Yana, Samsraya
and Dvaidhibhava. A ruler should adopt his foreign policy by
deploying the well-established four-fold policy of Sama
(persuasion, conciliation), Dana (monetary and other gainful
(Punishment) [5]. and a treatise on running a country which is pertinent even
Kautilya’s Arthashastra is mainly a work on the art of today. His philosophies remain prevalent today in India.
government. In his political and administrative ideas, the
focus of attention was the king. According to Kautilya, the
state is made of seven constituent elements the king,
ministers, fort, rural area, treasury, army and friend. Of all
the seven elements, the king is the most important as he
provides leadership, dynamism and energy to other six
elements. ‘Artha’ is the dominant matter in this world and
politics is also subjected to it. This view is largely similar
to materialist philosophy of marx. In modern terminology,
Kautilya’s Arthashastra can be dubbed as a book on
political economy. Economic power precedes the political
power. Kautilya’s Arthashastra is, in essence, a book on
science of government whose base is economic.
According to Kautilya, Artha implies vocation of man.
The earth, on which humans inhabit and depend for their
livelihood, is also called Artha [6]. Arthashastra is science
of “acquisition and maintenance of (inhabited) earth.”
Kautilya has said, “This science brings into beings and
preserves spiritual good, material well – being and
pleasures and destroys spiritual evil, material loss and
hatred [7]. He thinks that politics must be treated as an
independent science. Only it needs to be fitted into general
scheme of knowledge. According to Kautilya’s beliefs, for
the smooth functioning of administration and for the
welfare of the people, the king had to be acquainted in the
four Vedas and four sciences of government. First
Anviksiki or philosophy including the materialistic
Lokayata system which sharpens the intellect opens the
heart and opens the gate to all knowledge and virtue.
Secondly, the Trayi or the triple Vedas, Rig, Sam and
Yjur. To these might be added the Atharvaveda and
historical lore. Thirdly, Varta or economics was concerned
with agriculture, Cattle – breeding and trade. Lastly,
Dandaniti or politics was the science of government, of the
enforcement of law and order [8]. According to Kautilya,
politics was the supreme science and supreme art. It lay at
the root of all. The welfare of all sciences depended on the
well - being of politics [9]. Kautilya is exceptional Indian
political philosopher who was both thinker and statesman.
He contributed in various social and political revolutions
of his age and abstracted from his study of conflicts some
general principles capable of universal application and
effective in all times and ages. With more and more
studies in the field of politics and economics and with a
modern outlook and understanding of world affairs, the
significance and indebtedness of Kautilya’s ‘Arthashastra’
is incontrovertible. In India today, the Arthashastra is
considered
analogoustoAristotle’sPoliticsandMachiavelli’sThe Prince
[10]
.

Conclusion
Kautilya is one of the most renowned Indian political
philosophers. Though, he lived a long time ago, Certain
philosophies from his theory are still applicable in modern
political frame work. The book, written in Sanskrit
elucidates theories and principles of governing a state.
Kautilya established an extremely vital imperative -
governance, polity, politics and progress have to be linked
to the welfare of the people. Covering various topics on
administration, politics and economy. It is a book of law
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