Political PhilosophyBook · -300
Arthashastra
Kautilya
A manual on running a kingdom covering taxation, agriculture, law, spycraft and when to break a treaty, attributed to Chanakya and rediscovered only in 1905. It is more administratively detailed than Machiavelli and considerably colder.
Why you should read this
This ancient Indian treatise on statecraft, economics and military strategy is frequently compared to Machiavelli's The Prince, though it substantially predates it and covers far more administrative ground, from taxation to espionage. Best for readers interested in classical Indian political thought and comparative statecraft.
- Field
- Political Philosophy
- Form
- Non-fiction
- Published
- 300 BCE
- Themes
- Indian Political ThoughtPolitical Philosophy
