Understanding Kautilya's Arthashastr: A in Praise of Rote
Abstract
India would gain by reviving her ancient strategic culture outlined in such classics as the Arthashastra. This article argues that learning the essential precepts by heart paves the way for a useful reflection on and implementation of the guidelines and prescriptions they provide in a contemporary context. The author gives a summary of some of the instructions relevant to the conduct of international relations, particularly in the present situation of South and East Asia which, as in the time when Chanakya wrote the Arthashastra, are divided into a number of related but mutually suspicious states. However, he makes it clear that the Arthashastra does not set out rigid dogmatic rules but rather presents a range of flexible options based on realistic analysis.
