Arthaśāstra

A comprehensive treatise on statecraft, economics and law, traditionally ascribed to Kauṭilya (also called Cāṇakya), minister to the Maurya emperor Chandragupta, though many scholars now see it as a later compilation. Lost for centuries, it was rediscovered and published in the early twentieth century. Its fifteen books begin with the training of the king, who must study philosophy, the Vedas, economics and the science of government, and must master his senses. They go on to describe the ministers and departments of a well-run state, taxes, mines and trade, courts of law and criminal justice, and an extensive system of spies. Book Six sets out the circle of states (maṇḍala), in which a neighbour is a natural enemy and the neighbour's neighbour a natural ally, and Book Seven the six measures of foreign policy, from peace to war. Later books cover military campaigns and secret methods. Its frank acceptance of deception and force has drawn comparison with Machiavelli, though readers also stress its concern for the people's welfare.

It is the classic Indian work on power, showing how a realist theory of the state, diplomacy and economic management was worked out in the ancient world, and it still frames debates on Indian strategy.