The ARTHASHASTRA

A compilation of advice and guidance from over 2000 years ago from the advisor and prime minister of Chandragupta Maurya, the first great emperor of Bharath (India). The price is good. Covers topics of statecraft, charity, crime & punishment, warfare, management, etc. While the content is not lacking, the print quality of the book cover is extremely low-quality and there is not much info on who did this particular translation.

One of the most important works of political philosophy. Equal to Plato and Socrates in importance.

This was written in 150 CE, as advice to a king on how to run his kingdom. It is encyclopedic, discussing topics you would find in Machiavelli, Sun Tzu, and maybe a business class run by Xaviera Hollander-- it sets the prices to be paid for the purchase of a courtesan, for example. It's interesting that the Penguin version only comes out of India, which would suggest that we in the west haven't given this much attention.

Just got it, must be recycled paper because its a darker gray instead of white.Also, the print is like a used printer ribbon that printed lightly.You would think if they use a darker paper they would at least make the print dark and crisp.

For a book on statecraft that was written over two thousand years ago the ArthashastraKautilya is remarkably accurate and upto date. It could still serve as a basic manual for kingship. That is because it deals with humans at the centre of politics, and humans have not changed all that much in terms of motivation, emotions and goals. A remarkably prescient book.

wise

For those who are interested in Classical Indian Political and Economic philosophy this makes a good read.

The arrange of the book is cool, but the index should be better so that it would be easier to locate.

This is a literal translation and that's about it. The whole book is just a list of do's and don'ts for a king. It lists the fines that were levied for cattle theft to crimes against women to incest, and so on. It explains how a king can attack an enemy fort and when fire brands should be used in an attack, and so on. This is just a rule book or administration/police manual.If you are looking for good analysis and thought on the lines of Will Durant or Henry Kissinger, this is not the book for you. Of course, this is not a comment on the translator. His aim might have been just to translate the text.What can we do with this information? How does it benefit the reader to know what diet was given to horses, and how elephants were cared for 2000 years ago? Even present day Prime Ministers and Presidents can not benefit from it because the world has changed in 2000 years and very few rules and strategies described in it can be implemented as is.Having said that, the author is so thorough in his efforts. He is balanced in his views, neither idolizing nor doubting Chanakya. His research and attention to detail are impressive. He is so clear in his objectives and so rigorous in presentation.

Its a great book. This book has been very well translated. The presentation and explanation is the best. I would recommend this book to everyone. Please do not be scared by the thickness of the book. Once you get through the first few pages it literally impossible to put it down. I keep going back to it as a referral. One must appreciate the genius and cunningness of Kautilya aka Chanakya. He was a shrewd man and this book gives us a peak into his mind. I'd recommend this book to all who are in a place of power or aspire to be in one.

The book comprises Chanakya's evolution of administration:1.The State and its constituent elements.2. The King3.The Well-Organized State.4.Treasury,Sources of revenue,accounts and audit.5.Civil service regulation6.The Government Department7.Law and Justice8.Covert Operations9.Foreign Policy10. Defense and WarCompletely enthralling and will definitely capture the reader's contemplation.

The Arthashtra facinates me as I have been researching it privately but then I saw the book on Amazon and ordered it. It has more than 800 pages so i got intimidated just to look at it, but then very randomly I started reading off different chapters and i realises than Indian Wisdom has been gifted to us through our ancestors. Why do we have to look at western philosophy when everything is provided to us in our lap. A lot of study is required of this book and I'm going to do it.I recommend this book for all the true citizens of Bharat.

It was an experience of a lifetime. Almost two thousand years some of the Chanakya`s sayings are still valid. Sadly after his murder the country has not produced such a thinker. It was all due to his Sanskrit knowledge