Introduction

Kautilya, also known as Chanakya or Vishnugupta was a great scholar of repute who played a
dominant role in the overthrow of the Nanda dynasty and founding of the Mauryan empire in the 4th
century B.C. He was the adviser and prime minister of Chandragupta Maurya. The Arthshastra is
believed to have been compiled between 300 BC and first century AD. A full text of the Sanskrit
treatise published by R. Shamasastry of Mysore in 1909.
Arthshastra deals with the problem of “acquiring and maintaining the earth”. It is thus the science
which deals with the acquisition and protection of the means of livelihood. It is a treatise concerned
with the political economy of the state and the structure and functions of public administration. It
Contains 15 parts, 180 divisions, 150 chapters and 6,000 shlokas. Kautilya discussed one major
theoretical exposition, that is the Saptanga theory of the state. Saptanga is from two words:
Sapta and Anga, meaning seven organs or limbs-just as the human body has several organs. For a
smooth functioning of the human body harmonious relationship and proper functioning of all the
organs are necessary. Similarly, Kautilya believed that for the smooth functioning of the state atleast a
harmonious relationship and proper functioning of seven organs are necessary.
The Saptanga theory refers to seven Angas or at some places Kautilya called them Prakritis. These
seven Angas or Prakritis that constitute a state and a very proper blending of functions of all these for
the state is necessary to sustain in an efficient manner. The Angas are Swami, Amatya, Janapada,
Durga, Kosha, Danda and Mitra. One should remember that these seven Angas have been mentioned
by Kautilya in a descending order of magnitude. According to Kautilya, In the welfare and happiness
of the people lies the king’s welfare and happiness. The Arthashastra is a textbook of practical politics
and statecraft. One of the outstanding contributions of Kautilya’s Arthashastra to statecraft and
governance in a monarchical state. Hence, Kautilya’s theory of state envisages a rational approach to
governance and state craft which conceptualizes the state and the office of the
kingship to be human artifacts. In formulating the details of his political ideals, principles, plans
and ethico-political strategies, Kautilya had taken cognizance not only of the events of his days, but
also the ones that were likely to change the entire course of thought and action. That is why he and his
Arthashastra have their marked relevance not only for our times, but also for the generations to come.

About kautilya
Kautilya is the most important thinker of ancient Indian political thought. He is the writer of a
celebrate work “Arthashastra” which shifted the attention from the supremacy of religion to the
autonomous sphere of polity in ancient Indian Political thought. The book was written for the
guidance of kings who desire to acquire and maintain political power. Like Machiavelli’s “Prince”, it
is a manual on statecraft and art of administration.

Social structure
The structure of the society that emerges is one based on the varnashrama system. The varna system
refers to the four orders into which society was ideally divided, and the ashrama system refers to the
four phases of a life-cycle viz. brahamcharya, grihasthya, vanaspratha and sanyasa. The society was
divided into four varnas: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishya, and Sudras. There were two kinds of
Brahmins or the priestly class: srotriya and Brahmins in general. The special function of the
Brahmins was the performance of ceremonial and sacred rituals. Women were supposed to be always
subject to patriarchal control by father, husband, orson. Non-Aryans were outside the pale of the four
varnas.

Economic structure
The structure of the economy as revealed in the text appears to be considerably developed with regard
to terms of ownership of property and division of labour. The institution of private property existed
and so did state-ownership. The state claimed ownership of common resources such as water and all
residual, abandoned or disputed but unsettled private claims to property. Birds, fishes, vegetables on
waterworks, irrespective of whether built by the state or private parties belonged to the state. The king
is advised to maintain a diversified economy efficiently and profitably. Land, livestock, mining and
fishing were all both in state and private ownership. Virgin land tracts were state-owned but arable
land was cultivated both by the state and the private parties. However, state monopolies existed
in gold, silver and gems, liquors, gambling. The state and local and foreign merchants were involved
in trade and commerce.

Kautilya’s State

Nature of the state

The Mauryan era of ancient India gave the world a significanttreatise, the Arthashastra of Kautilya. It
offers deep insights into political statecraft. Kautilya is known as the Indian Machiavelli because of
his ruthless and shrewd tactics and policies reflecting an approach to statecraft including warfare.
The state of nature is imagined to be one of total anarchy, in which ‘might was right’. When people
were oppressed by Matyanyaya, the law of the fish, according to which the bigger fish swallows the
smaller ones, they selected Manu– son of Vivasvat the king. It was settled that the king should receive
one-sixth of the grain and one-tenth of merchandise and gold, as his due. It was the revenue which
made it possible for the king to ensure the security and prosperity of his subjects. People agreed to pay
taxes and he ruled by one person in order that they might be able to enjoy well-being and security. In
Kautilya’s Arthashastra, there is no explicit theory of social contract neither does Kautilya use the
contract to make the king all powerful.

The Saptanga Theory

The word “Saptang” indicates seven limbs, constituents or elements. Together, they constitute the
State as an organism, “like a chariot composed of seven parts fitted and subservient to one another”.
The Saptanga theory refers to seven Angas or at some places Kautilya called them Prakritis. These
seven Angas or Prakritis that constitute a state and a very proper blending of functions of all these for
the state is necessary to sustain in an efficient manner. The Angas are Swami, Amatya, Janapada,
Durga, Kosha, Danda and Mitra. One should remember that these seven Angas have been mentioned
by Kautilya in a descending order of magnitude.

Elements of the state

Kautilya enumerated seven prakritis or essential organs of the state. They are as follow:
1. Swamin (The Ruler)
2. Amatya (The Minister)
3. Janapada (The Population)
4. Durga (The Fortified Capital)
5. Kosha (The Treasury)
6. Danda (The Army)
7. Mitra (Ally and Friend)

Swamin
Kautilya gives extensive powers to the king, alongwith an extensive list of duties which he must
perform for the welfare of his people. Firstly, the king should preferably belong to the nobility, be a
native of the land and follow the teachings of the Shashtras. The King’s foremost duty is rakshana
(protection) and palana (nurture) of his subjects. He is also asked to ensure their Yoga- Kshema, a
broad term implying the idea of welfare, wellbeing, prosperity and happiness. The text asserts “In the
happiness of the subjects lies the happiness of the King and in what is beneficial to the subjects, lies
his own benefit”. The king was the head of civil, judicial and military administration and
appointments to the most important offices were to be made by him. The King would lay down the
broad outlines of public policy and protect the social order based on the varnashramas. Among his
other duties, great stress was laid on welfare administration, such as building of bridges and
irrigational works, providing pastures for livestock, opening of \trade routes and working of mines.
The subjects were to be protected from natural calamities and anti-social elements. It was the duty of
the King to provide social security for the minors, the sick, the aged and the unemployed. Together
with the ideal of the welfare state, the Arthshastra maintains that danda (theuse of coercive power) is
the symbol of sovereignty and is absolutely mandatory to prevent anarchy in a state. However, he
also advises the King to exercise danda with utmost restraint. Its improper use turns the ruled against
the ruler, a situation ofrevolt may also develop if a majority of the public are discontented (atusta) or
disaffected (apacarita) and the army rises against the King. By virtue of his power to guard the
violation of the Dharmas, the king is the fountain of justice. The king who administers justice in
accordance with sacred law (dharma) evidence (vyavahara) custom (samstha) and edicts of king
(nyaya) will be able to conquer the whole world.

Amatya
The king rules through an elaborate administrative machinery Amatya stands for the higher echelons
of administration who form an inner cabinet. The Prime Minister and the High Priest are the most
important ministers. The Inner Cabinet assists the king to appoint the ministers and the executive
heads of departments. The important ministers in Arthshastra include the priest, the prime minister,
the commander of the Army, the Treasurer General and the Collector General. Amatya means high
official in the administrative set-up. The number of Amatyas, according to Kautilya, should be around
thirty-seven to forty-two. They are officers or administrators to the state or a cadre of officials from
which different functionaries were recruited to the state for the smooth functioning of the state.
Kautilya talked about several kinds of Amatyas and explained how could they be recruited and how
they could conduct their work. Kautilya mentioned four kinds of tests for recruitment – Dharmapada,
Arthapada, Bhayapada, Lobhapada.

Janpada
This refers to the citizens settled in the territory of a nation. Kautilya points out that the territory of the
state should be devoid of rocky, saline, uneven and thorny tracts, be free from wild beasts and abound
in fertile lands, timber and elephant forests. The land should be watered by rivers and there should be
suitable places for establishing villages and cities and should be provided with all means of
communication. The people hould be industrious and followers of dharma. The king has to protect
both land and the people from external aggression and make all possible efforts to promote the
economic prosperity of the state.

Durga
Durga is the fourth element of the state and it literally means a fortress. Kautilya has referred to only
four types of durgas, they are, audaka durga (surrounded by water), parvata durga (made of rocks)
dhanvana – durga (surrounded by desert) and Vana – durga (surrounded by forests). The first two type
of durgas were useful for protecting Janapada in case of emergency and the following two types
provided shelters to the king in the event of any emergency. At that time the capital was the only town
where different kinds of people were engaged in different kinds of activities and belonged to different
social strata. The inhabitants of the Durga belonged to different Varnas also who lived in their
respective demarcated territories. Kautilya stressed on an invincible fort, which according to him
is the most important pillar on which the superstructure of the state stands.

Kosha
All the activities of the state depend on finance and therefore foremost attention should be given to the
treasury. The state treasury should be a permanent source of revenue for the state. The king is advised
to take one sixth of the produce and there must be sufficient reserves of currency and valuable
minerals like gold. In case of emergency, particularly in times of war, the king was at liberty to collect
heavy taxes from his subjects. The chief sources of income of the state were the King’s share of the
land produce, customs duties and the amount collected as fines. The main tax payers were the farmers,
traders and artisans. Finance is life blood of any state without which it is almost impossible to run it.
Money is needed for paying salaries, building new infrastructure, etc. The treasury should be full of
money and valuable metals and gems. It can be increased through taxation and plundering enemy
states in war.

Danda
The King should have at his command a strong military force. The army ought to be well versed in
military arts, contended and therefore loyal and patriotic. The kshatriyas are best for military service
and the senapati (commander in-chief) should generally belong to this caste. A good fighting and
loyal army is a valuable asset to the King. The state should have a regular, large, disciplined and well-
trained military. It is crucial for the security of the state. The soldiers should be recruited from those
families which are traditionally associated with military. The soldiers should have paid well and their
families should be taken care of in most suitable way. Proper training and equipment should be made
available. Well-fed and well-trained soldiers can win any battle. The king should take care of the
soldiers and the soldiers will be ready to sacrifice even their life for him.

Mitra
It refers to friends of the king. The monarch should maintain friendly relationship with traditional
friends of his forefathers. He should also make new friendships. He should send gifts and other
pleasantries for his friends. They should be helped in times of emergency. They should be loyal.
Friends add to the power of the state. They are also important from foreign trade view point. Kautilya
was always in favour of expanding the kingdom of the state and for that purpose he said that Mitra is
an important constituent. The Swamin needed the help of his allies whenever he wanted to start an
expedition. This aspect is actually discussed in details in discussion of foreign policy of the state.

Functions of State:

Protective Functions
1. To protect:
a) the life of his people, especially the ones in distress, the widows, the women
without children, the women with infants, the orphans, the sick and the indigent;
b) hermits, shrotriyas and students, and
c) property of the people;
2. To put down violence and maintain law and order;
3. To avert dangers and command the army;
4. To 'redress peoples' grievances;
5. To punish the wrong-doers; and
6. To administer justice impartially and in accordance with the sacred law (Dharma, evidence
(Vyavhara), history (Samstha) and enacted law (Raajasthasana)

Promotive Functions
1. To promote the moral and material happiness and welfare of his people, as in their happiness
lies his happiness and in their welfare his welfare;
2. To enable them to pursue freely their independent efforts in life;
3. To maintain unity and solidarity;
4. To reward virtue;
5. To promote agriculture, industry and arts;
6. To regulate the means of livelihood especially of the labourers and artisans; and
7. To encourage education and help students.

Critical analysis
One of the basic reasons for Kautilya’s emphasis on a strong state capable of creating order and
providing good governance to his subjects is his acute awareness of the dangers of anarchy and being
witness to the malady of his times - the prevalence of a number of small states constantly at war with
one another. He was the first thinker who reached the pivot of realpolitik by stressing on a strong
political centre in India and propounding a theory of politics which dealt with the practical concerns
of administration and governance. He strongly believed that anarchy is worse than the highest
tyranny. Although he was in favour of a powerful ruler, he made it very clear that this power
is to be used only for the welfare of the ruled. The monarch’s powers were to be hedged in with many
restrictions. He was to work 18 hours a day and all questions of political importance would be
discussed in the two houses of parliament (pura-janapada), a powerful instrument to curb the King’s
absolute authority. He also refers to the authority of canon law, customary law, usage and logical
principles. Despite these restrictions on his absolute authority; the king is given the last say in all
important matters of governance. This emphasis on the principle of kingship became the basis of
consolidating perhaps the first centralized government in India.

The concept of Welfare State

The seeds of a welfare state are sown into Arthshastra with as much emphasis as an elaborate
discussion on the state structure and the administrative machinery. There was nothing more important
to the king than the welfare of his subjects. The idea of a welfare state is taken up and the King is
authorized to create conditions for a good life by digging wells, canals, constructing dams, planting
trees, providing impetus to trade and industry road construction and providing navigation facilities. A
good state must have right laws and institutions besides honest and good administrators devoted to
public welfare. If a king is to become a chakravartin, he must have all three assets, namely military
power, financial prudence and wisdom. In his tasks the king must first use right means, but, if they
fail, he may use intrique and treachery. It is the duty of the king to reward the meritorious and punish
the corrupt and in all his roles he should be a model for others. He was convinced that an unrighteous
King who ignores the welfare of his subjects would fall a victim to popular revolt and become
vulnerable to enemies. For the preservation of the state, Kautilya was convinced that governance rules
had to ignore the ordinary concepts of morality and utilize evil (spies, deceit, treachery, sex, violence
and murder) if necessary for the good of society and the stability of the state. Kautilya often confused
the preservation of the state with the preservation of the King, a stand which cannot be condoned from
a modern democratic standpoint. However, Kautilya’s famous definition of politics is worthquoting
even today: Politics is the acquisition of what has not been gained, the preservation of what has
been acquired, the increase of what has been preserved, and the bestowal of the surplus upon
the deserved.

Conclusion
The Arthashastra is a textbook of practical politics and statecraft. One of the outstanding contributions
of Kautilya’s Arthashastra to statecraft and governance in a monarchical state. Hence, Kautilya’s
theory of state envisages a rational approach to governance and state craft which conceptualizes the
state and the office of the kingship to be human artifacts. The realist that Kautilya was he did not
attribute the degeneration of state and society to destiny or divinity but he perceived it as the direct
consequence of misrule, misgovernance and lack of a political vision. Thus, he evolved such
principles of political conduct and good governance that would cover all such contingencies. Though
he did not theorize about the postulates of statehood and society, Kautilya was the first political
thinker in history to discuss politics in administrative terms (in the vocabulary of good and bad
administration) recognizing the former as mandatory to the maintenance of a good and just state. A
good administration touches on citizen’s lives and therefore needs to continue on a sound and
permanent basis is the ultimate message of the Arthshastra. His chief concerns-presentation and
development of the state in terms of a certain concept of distributive justice, security of subjects and
stability of society have been clearly stated and these concerns have a modern futuristic vision of
politics that is
truly remarkable for his age and times. His administrative scheme is unsurpassed in every detail:
central administrative machinery, provincial, local, legal and financial administration have all been
dealt with in Arthshastra which remains to this day the oldest and the longest written text of public
administration in the world.

References
1. southasia.ucla.edu
2. kautilyaacadmy.in
3. www.thehindu.in
4. www.worldhistory.com
5. www.epw.in