POLITICAL IDEAS OF

ARTHASASTRA
CIVIL-FINANCIAL-JUDICIAL AND
MILITARY ADMINISTRATION
SUDHARSHINI K
18BLA1048
 CIVIL
Kautilya wanted to establish a welfare state,
considering the benefits of all the people living in
the state
 ELEMENTS OF THE STATE
1. King
2. Minister
3. Army
4. Country
5. Fort
6. Ally
7. Enemy
8. Treasury
 CENTRAL
GOVERNMENT

HOME PROVINCE
HIERARCHY OF
STATES VICEROYS
GOVERNANCE
DISTRICTS

RURAL URBAN

KING

FUNCTIONS STUDIES

MILITARY ECONOMICS
JUDICIAL PHILOSOPHY
LEGISLATIVE STATECRAFT
EXECUTIVE 3 VEDAS
Based on tests: RECRUITING OFFICERS

REVENUE
PIETY JUDGES LUCRE
COLLECTORS

LUST HAREM FEAR BODYGUARDS

ALL COUNCILLORS

DHARMASTHYA
(CIVIL)
COURTS

KANTAKASHODHANA
(CRIMINAL)
 ISSUES WITH KAUTILYAN
ADMINISTRATION
• Over charged with supervision
• Prominence on individuals instead of
institutions.
• Mistrust of officials.
 FINANCE
•3 activities: Agriculture, Cattle Rearing, Trade
•4 Kakan= 1 Mashak, 16 Mashak= 1 Pana, silver
and copper
•Counterfeiting punishable
•Trading

MERCHANTS (STATE Sell in STATE OR Stored CHIEF CONTROLLER OF

& FOREIGN) bulk MARKET PLACE by STATE TRADING

Distributes to public and crown

 AUDIT & ACCOUNTABILITY
• The chancellor collects revenue from the
whole country (assisted by Governor Generals
in each city), prepared the budget and
maintain detailed accounts of revenues and
expenditures pertaining to all activities.
• The procedure of year-end Audit existed even
then
• Maintenance of accounts
 PRINCIPLES OF TAXATION
• Increase the tax base and not the tax rate to increase
revenue.
• Ignorance of the work, neglect of duty, timidity,
corruption, arrogance and greed on the part of tax
officials were the main factors for causing the loss of
revenue.
• Heavy penalties on those officials, who
misappropriated revenue
• No punishment for bribing, compensate them.
• Liquor sales, betting and gambling be run by the
Government to generate some surplus to complement
the tax revenue.
 POSITIVE GOVT EXPENDITURES
1. Infrastructural development
2. Tax incentives to:
 Tax holidays
 Subsidized loans
 Exemption from import duty
 JUSTICE
VYAVHARA
(Evidences)

DHARMA
(Sacred Law)

SOURCES OF LAW
CHARITA
(History and
Custom)

RAJASASANA
(Edicts of the King)
 LEGAL IDEAS

ADMINISTRATION OF
IMPORTANCE OF THE
JUSTICE
RULE OF LAW
CODIFICATION OF LAW Effective law
•Pre-requisite for economic
growth enforcement depended
•Survival of the fittest on:
Traditional laws – outdated,
•Corruption and greed 1. Honesty of the
insufficient.
Law Enforcers
Green justice,
2. Importance of
Simplicity
Judicial Fairness
3. Impartiality,
proportionality
and certainty of
punishment
 MAIN JUDICIAL ASPECTS
• Law enforcers must be law-abiding and
honest.
• Too high a punishment was ineffective.
• Importance of evidence.
• Substitution of non-monetary punishments for
some crimes by monetary fines.
• economic development was affected by
corruption.
 MILITARY

dharmayuddha (ethical warfare)

kutayuddha (devious warfare)
Vijigisu
Mandala
 PRIMARY KINGS BASED ON
MANDALA
FORWARD Arimitramitra
1. ARI
Mitramitra
2. MITRA
3. ARIMITRA Arimitra
4. MITRAMITRA Mitra
5. ARIMITRAMITRA F Ari
REAR
1. PARSHNIGRAHA VIJIGISU
2. AKRANDA
3. PARSHNIGRAHASARA
R Párshnigráha
4. AKRANDASARA Ákranda
Natural enemy and Factitious Párshnigráhásárá
enemy Ákrandására
Natural ally and Acquired ally
Madhyama
Udasina
 6 FORMS OF STATE POLICY
• 1. Peace (sandhi).
• 2. War (vigraha).
• 3. Observance of neutrality (ásana).
• 4. Marching (yána).
• 5. Alliance (samsraya).
• 6. Making peace with one and waging war
with another (dvaidhíbháva).
 DEFENCE OF
A KINGDOM

FORT ARMY

Parvata INFANTRY
Hill fort Patti / Padati

Audaka CAVALRY
Water fort Asva

Dhanavana ELEPHANTS
Desert fort Hast

Vanadurga CHARIOT
Forest fort Ratha
 ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE
COMMANDER IN CHIEF

CHIEF OF DEFENCE

CHIEF COMMANDERS INFANTRY

CHARIOT

DIVISION COMMANDERS
ELEPHANT CAVALRY

PADIKA

COMMANDER OF FORT COMMANDER OF KINGS GUARD

COMMANDER OF KINGS GUARD

 WEAPONS
BATTLEFIELD DEFENCE OF FORT ATTACK OF FORTS

COMPOSITION OF THE ARMY

MAULA SRENI

MITRA
BHRTA

AMRTA ATAVI