Arthashastra is an Indian discourse on statecraft, politics, war strategies, economics, and tactics for social governance, composed by Chanakya (Kautilya), who was the prime minister of the Mauryan Empire during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya. The word ‘Arthashatra’ means the science of material gain.
Many scholars believe that the foundations of Arthashastra are derived from another school of ancient Indian knowledge called Charvaka (also known as Lokayata) which was created around 600 BCE. Both Charvaka and Arthashastra reject the role of supernaturalism and ritualism when it comes to acquiring material success.
Besides war and political strategies, Arthashastra also deals with aspects like lawmaking & jurisdiction, markets and trade policies, diplomacy, selection of ministers, use of ancient systems of medicine, strategies on how to maintain peace or boost prosperity, and the duties of an emperor towards his family and his kingdom.
Largely based on Hindu philosophies, this ancient text helped Chandragupta, as well as his son (Bindusara) and grandson (Ashoka), organize and systematize their ministry and militaries to build a formidable empire during their respective reigns. Arthashastra is still studied as one of the most influential works in the field of political science in the world and is often compared to ‘The Prince’ by Niccolo Machiavelli.