Who wrote Arthashastra? What is its Subject Matter?

Answer 1

The Arthashastra (more precisely Arthaśāstra) is a treatise on statecraft and economic policy which identifies its author by the names Kauṭilya[1] and Viṣṇugupta,[2] who are traditionally identified with the Mauryan minister Cāṇakya.[3]

Date and authorship

The traditional identification of Kauṭilya and Viṣṇugupta with the Mauryan minister Cāṇakya would date the Arthaśāstra to the 4th century BCE.[4]

However, certain affinities with smṛtis and references that would be anachronistic for the 4th century BCE suggest assigning the Arthaśāstra to the 2nd through 4th centuries CE.[5]

Thomas R. Trautmann and I.W. Mabbett concur that the Arthaśāstra is a composition from no earlier than the 2nd century CE, but based on earlier material.[6]

K.C. Ojha puts forward the view that the traditional identification of Viṣṇugupta with Kauṭilya was caused by a confusion of editor and originator and suggests that Viṣṇugupta is in fact a redactor of the original work of Kauṭilya.[7]

Thomas Burrow goes even further and says that Cāṇakya and Kauṭilya are actually two different people.[8]

Answer 2

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Arthashastra (more precisely Arthaśāstra) is a treatise on statecraft and economic policy which identifies its author by the names Kauṭilya and Viṣṇugupta, who are traditionally identified with the Mauryan minister Cāṇakya.

The traditional identification of Kauṭilya and Vishnugupta with the Mauryan minister Cāṇakya would date the Arthaśāstra to the 4th century BCE.

Most modern day historians like Romila Thapar are of the opinion that this document definitely dates back to the early Mauryan era. Many administrative terms used are similar to those used in the edicts of Ashoka. The Magadhan kingdom under the Nanda dynasty is given as a case study.the language of many fragments is archaic. Certain inconsistencies may be explained by the fact that the document has probably seen many revisions by various authors at different times. It has been suggested that Vishnugupta was a later editor of the original work by Chanakya

However, certain affinities with smrtis and references that would be anachronistic for the 4th century BC suggest assigning the Arthaśāstra to the 2nd through 4th centuries CE.

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Answer 3

The Arthashastra (more precisely Arthaśāstra) is a treatise on statecraft and economic policy which identifies its author by the names Kauilya and Vinnugupta, who are traditionally identified with the Mauryan minister Cānakya. It contains the Chankya Needi i.e. tells how the kind, people etc. should act. It was a thumb rule book.

This treatise on government is said to have been written by the prime minister of India's first great emperor, Chandragupta Maurya. Although often compared to Machiavelli's Prince because of its sometimes ruthless approach to practical politics, Kautilya's work is far more varied--and entertaining--than usual accounts of it indicate. He mixes the harsh pragmatism for which he is famed with compassion for the poor, for slaves, and for women. He reveals the imagination of a romancer in imagining all manner of scenarios which can hardly have been commonplace in real life.

One of the most notorious features of the Arthashastra is its obsession with spying on the king's subjects. Kautilya sometimes goes to amusingly absurd lengths to imagine various sorts of spies. He even cynically proposes using fake holy men for this purpose.

Answer 4

Kautaliya also know as Chankya wrote Arthashastra

It is not actually about economics but a political dos and donts for a king

Surprisingly many of Arthashastra's verses on spying are used by modern day spying agencies...like poising with the help of near and dear,...using poisonous girls to kill subjects..and bribing the security of a king to kill him

Answer 5

The Arthashastra

Answer 6

It was written by kautilya, & described the methods of political Science.

Answer 7

arthasastra was written by chanakya...it deals with public administration and politics

Answer 8

Thanks for 2 points!