2024/11/15 by Latha Rangarajan
Arts and Humanities · #Indian History and Philosophy #Indian and Buddhist Studies
paper · doi:10.3735/9781961844193.book-part-052
openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · openalex publication_date 2024/11/15 · openalex updated_date 2026/05/21
The Arthashastra is an Indian treatise on politics, economics, war, peace, and statecraft, attributed to Kautilya (also known as Chanakya). Ambitious and amoral, it has been compared to Machiavelli’s The Prince, as both view politics as a practical science advocating for espionage, secret police, and assassination. Both texts emphasize evaluating actions based on costs and benefits. According to the Arthashastra, a wise ruler must be ruthless, cunning, and free from sympathy, love, or delusions of virtue.