Economics of Kautiliya Shukra and Brihaspati.pmd

view point of modern economics following subject matter is of utmost
importance-
1. Economic activity
2. Price determination
3. Tax collection, use and accounting
4. Qualification of the treasurer
5. Adulteration and remedial measures
6. Business activities
7. Banking activities
Kautilya’s Arthashastra
The most influencial of all is Kautiliya Arthashastra. It is one
of the great books of political thought, ... on each reader it leaves its
mark, a chill as when a dark cloud blocks a warm sun. (Boesche,
2002:1) This treatise is an exposition on statecraft, economic policy
and military strategy which identifies its author by the name Vishnugupta
Chanakya, who is traditionally identifies with Kautilya or Kautalya (about
400-300 BC), a renowned Professor of Arthashastra at Taxila
Univerisity. According to him the numbers of sutras is 6000 but present
collections consist of 4800 sutras and 380 slokas. Therefore 10 percent
of the matter is missing.
The book is divided into 15 Departments or Books known as
Adhikarana. The First Five Books deal with tantra, or the internal
administration of the state, the next Eight Books define its relation with
neighbouring states while the last Two Books are miscellaneous in
character.
There is controversy in the date and authorship of ancient
treatises whether it is Kautiliya Arthashastra or Brihaspati Artha-sutrra
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or Shukra-niti. Thomas R Trautmann and I W Mabbette agree that
Arthashastra is a composition from no earlier than the second century
AC, but based on earlier materials. Thomas Burrow goes even further
and says that Chanakya and Kautilya are actually two different people.
(Wikipedia, 2009) The controversy about the date of this work has
revived by Prof. Jolly. He has pronounced that the work to be a piece
of forgery of about the third century AC. (Jayasawal, Appendix) Jolly’s
conclusion is that the real author was a theoretician, no statesman but
perhaps an official in a state of medium size. According to Jolly, the
ascription of the work to Kautilya or Chanakya was entirely due to the
myths currently regarding that fabulous minister who was looked upon
as the master and creator of the art of polity and as the author of all the
floating wisdom on the subject of Niti, but Jayasawal has presented
some evidences from the Arthashastra which are compatible only with
the fourth century BC. (Jayasawal, 1978: Nehru, 1985: 46, Kautilyako
Arthashastra, 1967: c)
Although the original work is very old, it was obtained by
Shyamashastry, the then librarian of Bhandarkar Oriental Library, in
1905 by a Brahman of Mysore. He edited and published it in 1909 at
first. Subsequently, the English translation of the Arthashastra by
Shyamashastry was published in 1915. Second and third editions of
this translation were published in 1923 and 1927 respectively.
Mahamahopadhyay T Ganapatashstri provided laudable service by
translating the original text into Sanskrit in 1924-25. Kalyanev translated
it into Russian language in 1959 and Vachaspati Gairola translated it in
Hindi in 1962-63. R P Kangle edited the Sanskrit text, translated in
English and wrote the commentary during 1960-65 in three volumes.
Nepali Translation was presented by K R Aryal in 1967, and L N
Rangrajan rearranged and edited it in 1992.
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