{"product_id":"the-arthashastra-luxury-collectible-edition-hardcover","title":"The Arthashastra: Luxury Collectible Edition - Hardcover","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eL. N. Rangarajan\u003c\/b\u003e (Translator), \u003cb\u003eKautilya Kautilya\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ci\u003eArthashastra\u003c\/i\u003e is an extraordinarily detailed manual on statecraft, governance, and the art of living, written by one of classical India's greatest thinkers, Kautilya--also known as \u003cb\u003eChanakya\u003c\/b\u003e or \u003cb\u003eVishnugupta\u003c\/b\u003e. Composed no later than around 150 CE (though its precise date remains debated), the \u003ci\u003eArthashastra\u003c\/i\u003e stands as the most comprehensive treatise on statecraft from the ancient world.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eTradition holds that Kautilya was either a Brahmin from Kerala or from northern India. What is certain is his pivotal role in history: he was the strategist who overthrew the Nanda dynasty and installed Chandragupta Maurya as king of Magadha. A master of political strategy and deeply learned in the Vedas, Kautilya's brilliance is fully reflected in this monumental work.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe \u003ci\u003eArthashastra\u003c\/i\u003e consists of fifteen books, covering a vast range of subjects including kingship, law, administration, foreign policy, espionage, economic management, and secret and occult practices. Written primarily in prose, the text also incorporates \u003cb\u003e380 shlokas (verses)\u003c\/b\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eArtha\u003c\/i\u003e, meaning wealth, is one of the four supreme aims of life in Hindu tradition, but in the \u003ci\u003eArthashastra\u003c\/i\u003e it carries a broader significance. Kautilya argues that the state has a central responsibility in safeguarding the material well-being of both the nation and its people. As a result, large sections of the text focus on economics, public finance, and resource management. When addressing politics, the \u003ci\u003eArthashastra\u003c\/i\u003e presents a wide-ranging vision of governance, encompassing the maintenance of law and order and the creation of an efficient administrative system.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eBoth a political manual and a philosophical work, the \u003ci\u003eArthashastra\u003c\/i\u003e remains a foundational text for understanding ancient Indian thought on power, economics, and government.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eL.N. Rangarajan \u003c\/b\u003ewas a graduate from the University of Madras. He joined the Indian Foreign service in 1956 and served as an ambassador to several countries such as Greece, Sudan, Norway, Tunisia and Iceland. He translated \u003cb\u003eKautilya\u003c\/b\u003e's \u003ci\u003eArthashastra \u003c\/i\u003eand is also the author of the book \u003ci\u003eCommodity Conflict\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 832\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e September 22, 2026\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67961164202205,"sku":"9780143477525","price":34.97,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0811\/9867\/8237\/files\/fszPU3NO3O9780143477525.webp?v=1790841030","url":"https:\/\/handfulofbooks.com\/products\/the-arthashastra-luxury-collectible-edition-hardcover","provider":"Handful of Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}