‘The Introduction: What is the Arthashastra?’ provides much-needed information about how the long-lost palm leaf manuscript of Kautilya’s Arthashastra came to be discovered by Rudrapatna Samasastry in 1904 at the Mysore Oriental Library. Written in the Granthi script used to write Sanskrit in the Tamil-speaking areas of South India, it was a momentous discovery. For, despite references to it in works, say of Vishnusarma or Megasthenes, no written copy of it was known to exist. The Sanskrit version was published in 1909, the English translations in1905-09, and the German and French ones subsequently. The ‘Introduction’ then moves on to the date and structure of composition of the Arthashastra
(p. xix), and points out that, though associated with the name of Kautilya, it is not the work of any single individual. It then tells children about who Kautilya could have been (pp. xxii-xxv).
Sprinkled with lively illustrations by Radhika Dinesh, the book has nine chapters, followed by a systematic bibliography.
‘All About Kingship’ points out the ‘training’ that Kautilya thought a king should have. It is this training that perhaps Chandragupta Maurya received, including the martial arts, self-discipline and re-cap of the day’s lessons (p. 4). Kautilya had even drawn out an eight-period time-table for the trainee king. (pp. 7-9). Suffering from their rigorous routines, children today should find themselves in empathy! This chapter also contains Kautilya’s instructions on security provisions for the king, architectural as well as procedural (pp. 9-14). Deepa Agarwal rightly says, ‘If we compare the plans of these palaces with that of high-security buildings in modern times, it would seem that many ideas have been borrowed from this ancient text’ (p. 9). This chapter also tells children about revolts and rebellions, about the issues of succession, and even of royal incompetence or infirmity.
‘What is a Well-Organized State?’ is perhaps more relevant to the child of today. As Deepa Agarwal puts it, ‘The contemporary world may have advanced in numerous ways over the centuries but the basics of good governance remain the same as in the times of the Arthashastra… Kautilya gave much weight to the organization of the state in such a manner that it was effectively protected against hostile forces and remained prosperous through the dedicated pursuit of agriculture and trade. He provided instructions to accomplish this in minute detail, attending to almost every aspect of agriculture and trade’ (p. 25). Of course, the ‘state’ in the Arthashastra is really the janapada (p. 26). ‘New Settlements’ describes how the king should get the countryside populated in safe and secure spots but in fertile areas with due assignment of workers and officials. ‘The Royal Councillors and Ministries’ relates to the allocation of official duties, their roles, their hierarchy, salaries, responsibilities and even fines upon them! Preparing the budget was especially the Chancellor’s privilege. The Royal Scribe (somewhat like a personal secretary to the king, p. 43) had to have a good handwriting. The Treasurer, the Chancellor, the Chief Comptroller and Auditor, and Frontiers Officers all had their rights and responsibilities spelt out. Corrupt officials were to be exposed through secret agents; thieves and bandits were to be paraded in public (p. 47).
The economy then was very largely agricultural (only more diversified now) and Kautilya had given due emphasis on it in ‘How To Make a Country Prosperous’. But Deepa Agarwal, in an engaging fashion, puts across the proposition that there was an industrial sector too (textiles, metal, salt) and a corresponding trade sector (pp. 51-54). While Kautilya wanted the king to encourage trade activity, he also proclaimed that merchants were thieves and should not be allowed to exploit the people (p.
57). Snippets like this from the author liven up the book and should make the children go on turning its pages to topics such as the Marketing System, Import and Sale of Foreign Goods, Sale Through Agents and Retailers, and Consumer Protection as well.
‘How Were Funds to Be Written?’ is followed by ‘Babudom According to Kautilya’. ‘Towards Justice and an Orderly Society’ presents Kautilya’s ideas on justice and order including women’s rights embodied in streedhana (p. 101). ‘About Spies and Secret Agents’ will enthrall children by telling them about the various types of spies engaged in those times. ‘Foreign Policy—Allies and Enemies, War and Peace’ encapsulates the theory of rajamandala which Kautilya is most famous for (p. 119). With a diagram of concentric circles (p. 121), it clarifies how the Vijigishu or king ‘who wants to win’ should strengthen his position among his neighbours far and near. It also presents succinctly the six ways that a king has for making progress, and the matter of Treaties, Equal and Unequal.
Children will be fascinated by ‘The Business of Making War’ where Kautilya’s insights have been related to still-prevalent tactics as in the Russian invasion of Ukraine (p. 169). A listing of Classics on Statecraft (pp.172-73) follows.
In my three decades of teaching Economics, I have often felt that the subject as taught in schools, or at the undergraduate and post-graduate levels in India, is almost entirely the Economics of the West, specifically British and American.
Policymakers too are largely trained in the western tradition, though in some universities there may be special papers such as ‘History of Economic Thought’ with a few accompanying textbooks. But year after year, students get their degrees without learning what truly ‘Indian’ Economics is. Though definitely not a textbook, The Arthashastra for Children by Deepa Agarwal may fill that gap.
However, the boxes (of rare information) are too dark in shade or too light in font. Couldn’t they have been left un-shaded, merely outlined? But then, the book is for younger eyes!