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Notes- ancient and medieval indian political thought

Bachelor of Arts (Creighton University)

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UNIT-5: KAUTILIYA: THEORY OF STATE

(ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL POLITICAL THOUGHT IN INDIA)

INTRODUCTION:
 Kautilya, also known as Chanakya, was an ancient Indian philosopher, economist,
teacher, and royal advisor who lived around the 4th century BCE.
 Kautilya's theory of state is primarily outlined in his famous work, the Arthashastra.
 He is known with creating the Arthashastra, or theory of state, which provides principles
for effective government and rule. This theory includes economics, politics, law, and
foreign policy, among the various aspects of statecraft and governing.
 The king is seen as a protector of dharma but not its sole interpreter.
 In Indian philosophy, the ultimate goal is the pursuit of dharma.
 This theory is also called “saptang theory”.

ORIGIN OF ARTHSHASTRA:
Kautiliya was from the “kutil gotra” giving him the name kautiliya.

 He was born in Chanaka, and his father's name was also Chanaka, leading to the name
Chanakya.
 Kautilya's Arthasastra is a compilation and commentary on existing texts about polity
and statecraft.
 He organized and refined these texts based on his extensive experience as Chief
Minister in Chandragupta Maurya's court.
 The authorship of Arthasastra is controversial, with some Occidental scholars arguing
that Kautilya couldn't have written it due to concepts practiced in later epochs.
 Indian scholars dispute these claims, pointing out that many concepts used by Kautilya
are indeed associated with the fourth century B.C.

FRAMEWORK OF ARTHSHASHTRA:
 Arthasastra means the science (sastra) of wealth/earth/polity (artha).
 This treatise is divided into fifteen books dealing with virtually every topic concerned
with the running of a state - taxation, law, diplomacy, military strategy, economics,
bureaucracy etc. Arthasastra advocates rational ethic to the conduct of the affairs of the
state.
 The emphasis is on codification of law and uniformity of law throughout the empire.
 The basis of good governance is knowledge and Arthasastra classifies knowledge
into four categories.

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UNIT-5: KAUTILIYA: THEORY OF STATE

(ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL POLITICAL THOUGHT IN INDIA)

1. Anvikasi (philosophy). This is considered to be the "lamp of all sciences".

2. Trayi (the three Vedas - Sama, Rig and Yajur). These texts establish the four classes
(varnas ) 15 and the four orders (ashrams)
3. Varta (economics, specifically agriculture, cattle breeding, and trade).
4. Dandaniti (science of government and politics).

Concept of state:
 The institution of the state is established to facilitate the practice of individual dharma.
 It aims to help individuals progress toward emancipation from the cycle of death and
rebirth.
 A state of lawlessness, known as "arajat," is frowned upon because it hinders the
practice of dharma.
 Ancient Vedic texts mention Matsya-Nyaya (Law of the Fish), which exists in a state of
nature.
 In this state, there is an absence of dharma and private property rights (mamatava).
 The state, equipped with the tools of coercion (danda), is formed to rescue society from
chaos.
 The state serves two key purposes: facilitating the practice of dharma and allowing
enjoyment of private property rights.
 The Vedic state can be seen as a form of "qualified monism" recognizing the autonomy
and diversity of social groups within its borders.
 Citizens held loyalties to both the state and guilds / associations.
 These associations were united by military strength and the principle of dharma.
 They had clear rules of governance and a code of conduct, guarding their autonomy
from the king.
 The superintendent of accounts codified the history, customs, and traditions of every
association to prevent overstepping.

Element of the state and role of the king:

 Arthshashtra conceptualizes the state to have seven elements (saptanga).
1. Swami (Monarch)
2. Amatya (Officals)
3. Janapada (Population And Territory)
4. Durga (Fort)
5. Kosa (Teasury)
6. Surhit/Mirta (Ally)

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UNIT-5: KAUTILIYA: THEORY OF STATE

(ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL POLITICAL THOUGHT IN INDIA)

1. Swami(The Sovereign King):

 Kautilya, who believes that monarchy is the best type of government, gives the king "the
highest position in the body-politic."
 The Swami is "the creation of all other elements" because he serves as the state's
supreme executive.
 The word swayam, which means self-governing/independent, is the origin of the word
swami. As a result, the Swami takes on the shape of a living, breathing person that is
unaffected by outside authority, accepts no laws, and is only bound by limitations that
he places upon himself. He is therefore a representation of power and authority in
politics and the law.
 Kautilya gives a comprehensive list of four broad categories of qualities which constitute
the ideals of a Swami:
i. Qualities of an inviting nature
ii. Qualities of intellect and intuition
iii. Qualities of enthusiasm(passion)
iv. Qualities of self-restraint and spirit.
This classification of attributes adds to the conventional understanding of kingship as being
defined by force and rule of people. Thus, the king was to govern his people with love rather
than as a despot who would use only armed force. As a result, he is required to carry out two
different kinds of duties and functions:
I. Protective function: The king being the natural guardian and savior of his people,
Kautilya expects him to perform the following protective functions that he should put
down violence and maintain law and order, he should avert dangers and command the
army, to redress people’s grievances, to punish the wrong- doers and to administer
justice impartially and in accordance with the sacred law, evidence, history and enacted
law.
II. Promotive function: On the other hand, his promotive functions include the following
that he should promote the moral and material happiness and welfare of his people, as
in their happiness lies his happiness and in their welfare his welfare, to enable them to
pursue freely their independent efforts in life, to maintain unity and solidarity, to
reward virtue, to promote agriculture, industry and arts, to regulate the means of
livelihood, especially of the laborers and artisans and to encourage education and help
students. In the exercise of these functions, Kautilya’s king was all- powerful. The limits
of his authority were imposed by the social and religious customs of his state

2. Amatya (The minister):

 The term Amatya or Mantrin is used for the minister of the high grade.

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UNIT-5: KAUTILIYA: THEORY OF STATE

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 Kautilya describes an elaborate system of recruitment of the Amatyas and other
officials who were to be morally and ethically pure, honest in financial matters
and of good character.
 The Amatyas were expected to be natural born citizens, persons of noble origin,
free from all vices, men of infallible memory, friendly nature, wisdom, patience
and endurance.
 The king was expected to appoint only wise men to these offices as they were to
be his trusted advisers.
 These ministers were not only to advise the king whenever their advice was
sought; they were also to maintain the secrecy of their deliberations.

3. Janapada (The People and The Territory):

 This unique element of Saptanga is the symbol of State, which stands for a “territorial
society”.
 Here, ‘Jana’ denotes people and ‘Pada’ is a symbol of territory where these inhabitants
permanently reside.
 Kautilya prescribes the following requisites of a prosperous Janapada in terms of
territory.
i. Accommodate and Support People.
ii. Defend The State Against Enemies.
iii. Find Occupation Of People.
iv. Have Manageable Neighbors.
v. Provides farm fields.
vi. Have arable land, forest, mines.
vii. Provide good internal communication I.e. Rivers, roads and outlet to sea.

4. Durga(Fortification):

 Kautilya regarded fortification as essential for the defense and protection of the state.
 He wanted the state to fortify the territories from all sides. He has described four types
of fortification which include Audak, Paarvat, Dhannvana and Vana. Of these categories,
the first two are used for the protection of the territory and the remaining two are used
for the protection of the farmers. These fortifications, thus, would not only protect the
people and the capital, but would also be suitable for fighting purposes, i.e. for both
defensive and offensive purposes.

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UNIT-5: KAUTILIYA: THEORY OF STATE

(ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL POLITICAL THOUGHT IN INDIA)
5. Kosha(The Treasury):
 The flourishing economy is essential for the existence of the State in all times and
circumstances.
 That is probably why the philosophers of Ancient India looked at treasury as an essential
element of the State.
 Though Kautilya wanted a prosperous treasury, he specifically directed the king to earn
the wealth of nation only by legitimate and righteous means and in no way by unfair
and immoral means.
 For the collection of revenues, Kautilya suggested the following legitimate sources:

I.Various forms of land tax

II.Tax on imports and exports
III.Duty levied on the sale of commodities in the market
IV.Miscellaneous taxes

6. Danda (The Army or The Force):

 Kautilya accepted a strong and hereditary Kshatriya army, as the most important
requisite of the state.
 He pushed for the hereditary army because he knew that it would be trustworthy,
competent, and loyal to the king's commands.
 The king may use such an army for both offensive and defensive objectives. It was
evident that Kautilya gave extensive thought to the maintenance and structure of the
army.
 For instance, in Arthashastra, we find him mentioning as many as half a dozen heads of
departments namely the in-charge of the armory, naval forces, cavalry, elephants,
chariots and infantry.

7. Mitra (The Allies):

 Having realized that “political isolation means death”, Kautilya proceeded to consider
the Mitra or the ally as a vital factor. Kautilya recognizes two kinds of allies, namely
Sahaja and Kritrima.
 The Sahaja or natural ally is the one whose friendship is derived from the times of King’s
father and grandfather and who is situated close to the territory of the immediately
neighboring enemy.
 On the other hand, the Kritrima or the acquired ally is the one whose friendship is
specially resorted to for the protection of wealth and life. Kautilya, however, preferred
an ally who is traditional, permanent, disciplined, and enthusiastic and from whom the
possibility of opposition or rebellion is minimum. Conclusion

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UNIT-5: KAUTILIYA: THEORY OF STATE

(ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL POLITICAL THOUGHT IN INDIA)
Conclusion:
Kautilya’s concept of ‘State’ is, however, vividly reflected in his description of angas or
elements of the state. He did not specifically define the term ‘State’, as he was
essentially a man of action, and not a theorist. His concern for and emphasis on the
internal and external security of state was to save humanity from a sort of Hobbesian
state of nature. The Saptang theory is a vivid manifestation of Kautilya’s deeper
understanding of not only the political nature of man, but also the functioning of his
political institutions, especially the state.

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