INTRODUCTION

• Kautilya, an ancient Indian political thinker, was a multi-dimensional personality known for his famous work, Arthashastra.

• Arthashastra is studied across various disciplines like political science, international relations, diplomacy, security studies, economics, management, and public administration.

• Kautilya is regarded as one of the finest ministers and politicians in India.

• His views on politics and the state continue to resonate in contemporary India, though it is believed that his works have not received enough attention in India or internationally.

• The science of statecraft had been developing in India even before Kautilya, and he did not claim to be a pioneer in this field.

• Kautilya compiled famous works and theories that were preceded by other scholars, providing his own views on areas like politics, economy, and diplomacy.

• There were at least four distinct schools and thirteen individual teachers of Arthashastra before Kautilya.

• Kautilya’s masterpiece, Arthashastra, likely superseded previous works, rendering them redundant and leading to their disappearance.

• It is important to study Kautilya’s work to understand its resilience through the centuries and its contemporary relevance for India.

BACKGROUND: KAUTILYA AND THE MAURYAN EMPIRE

• Kautilya was the minister in the kingdom of Chandragupta Maurya from 317 – 293 B.C. and is regarded as one of the shrewdest ministers of his time.

• He explained his views on State, War, Social Structures, Diplomacy, Ethics, Politics, and Statecraft in his book Arthashastra.

• The Mauryan Empire was one of the largest empires in Indian history, expanding from the Indian Ocean to the Himalayas and Iran in the west.

• Kautilya was a key advisor to Chandragupta Maurya, who established the empire after Alexander’s departure from India.

• Before Kautilya, there were other philosophers in India who composed the Shastras, but Kautilya’s work was more robust and encompassing, incorporating earlier treaties.

• The paper highlights Kautilya’s thinking in the East, which predates Machiavelli’s “The Prince” and emphasizes its relevance today.

• Kautilya’s ideologies on state, statecraft, and ethics are viewed as realistic and highly applicable in the modern context.

• His work on diplomacy is seen as underrepresented in the Western world, making it important to analyze his contributions in this area.

• Kautilya’s views cover four key dimensions: War & Peace, Human Rights, International Economic Justice, and World Order.

• In comparison, figures like Bismark and Woodrow Wilson only demonstrated views on two of these dimensions.

• Kautilya’s political realism emphasizes the primacy of the State, with the King carrying out duties to preserve the state.

• His work describes the brutal and gory means a king must adopt to remain in power, reflecting his realist approach.

• This contrast in ideologies may explain why Ashoka, the grandson of Chandragupta Maurya, renounced violence and war, embracing the path of Dharma or Morals.

• The paper focuses on Kautilya’s thoughts on war, diplomacy, and ethics.

• A section compares Kautilya with philosophers like Plato and later discusses why Machiavelli’s work seems abridged and succinct in comparison to Kautilya’s extensive work.

• Kautilya’s work is analyzed in the light of today’s politics and ethics.

• Max Weber, in his lecture “Politics as a Vocation,” stated that Machiavelli’s work is harmless compared to Kautilya’s Arthashastra.