Kautilya's Arthashastra 7.11: Chapter 11 (Section 116): Pacts for Securing an Ally, Money, Land and an Undertaking (cont.)

7.11.1

"tvaṃ cāhaṃ ca śūnyaṃ niveśayāvahe" ity anavasitasaṃdhiḥ //

THE agreement made under the condition, "Let us colonize waste land," is termed an interminable agreement.

7.11.2

tayor yaḥ pratyupasthitārtho yathoktaguṇāṃ bhūmiṃ niveśayati so 'tisaṃdhatte //

Whoever of the two parties of the agreement colonizes a fertile land, reaping the harvest earlier, overreaches the other.

7.11.3

tatrāpi sthalam audakaṃ veti mahataḥ sthalād alpam audakaṃ śreyaḥ, sātatyād avasthitatvāc ca phalānām //

Which is better for colonization: a plain or watery land?

A limited tract of land with water is far better than a vast plain, inasmuch as the former is conducive to the growth of crops and fruits throughout the year.

7.11.4

sthalayor api prabhūtapūrvāparasasyam alpavarṣapākam asaktārambhaṃ śreyaḥ //

Of plains, that which is conducive to the growth of both early and late crops and which requires less labour and less rain for cultivation is better than the other of reverse character.

7.11.5

audakayor api dhānyavāpam adhānyavāpāt śreyaḥ //

Of watery lands, that which is conducive to the growth of grains is better than another productive of crops other than grains.

7.11.6

tayor alpabahutve dhānyakāntād alpān mahad adhānyakāntaṃ śreyaḥ //

Of two watery tracts, one of limited area and conducive to the growth of grains, and another, vast and productive of crops other than grains, the latter is better, inasmuch as it affords vast area not only to grow spices and other medicinal crops, but also to construct forts and other defensive works in plenty: for fertility and other qualities of lands are artificial (kritrimah).

7.11.7

mahaty avakāśe hi sthālyāś cānūpyāś cauṣadhayo bhavanti //

7.11.8

durgādīni ca karmāṇi prabhūtyena kriyante //

7.11.9

kṛtrimā hi bhūmiguṇāḥ //

7.11.10

khanidhānyabhogayoḥ khanibhogaḥ kośakaraḥ, dhānyabhogaḥ kośakoṣṭhāgārakaraḥ //

Of the two tracts of land, one rich in grains and another in mines, the latter helps the treasury, while the former can fill both the treasury and the store-house; and besides this, the construction of forts and other buildings requires grains. Still, that kind of land containing mines and which yields precious metals to purchase large tracts of land is far better.

7.11.11

dhānyamūlā hi durgādīnāṃ karmaṇām ārambhāḥ //

7.11.12

mahāviṣayavikrayo vā khanibhogaḥ śreyān //

7.11.13

"dravyahastivanabhogayor dravyavanabhogaḥ sarvakarmaṇāṃ yoniḥ prabhūtanidhānakṣamaś ca, viparīto hastivanabhogaḥ" ity ācāryāḥ //

My teacher says that of the two forests, one productive of timber, and another of elephants, the former is the source of all kinds of works and is of immense help in forming a store-house, while the latter is of reverse character.

7.11.14

neti kauṭilyaḥ //

Not so, says Kautilya, for it is possible to plant any of timber-forests in many places, but not an elephant-forest; yet it is on elephants that the destruction of an enemy's army depends.

7.11.15

śakyaṃ dravyavanam anekam anekasyāṃ bhūmau vāpayitum, na hastivanam //

7.11.16

hastipradhāno hi parānīkavadha iti //

7.11.17

vāristhalapathabhogayor anityo vāripathabhogaḥ, nityaḥ sthalapathabhogaḥ //

Of the two, communication by water and by land, the former is not long-standing, while the latter can ever be enjoyed.

7.11.18

bhinnamanuṣyā śreṇīmanuṣyā vā bhūmir iti bhinnamanuṣyā śreyasī //

Which is better, the land with scattered people or that with a corporation of people?

7.11.19

bhinnamanuṣyā bhogyā bhavati, anupajāpyā cānyeṣām, anāpatsahā tu //

The former is better inasmuch as it can be kept under control and is not susceptible to the intrigues of enemys while the latter is intolerant of calamities and susceptible, of anger and other passions.

7.11.20

viparītā śreṇīmanuṣyā, kope mahādoṣā //

7.11.21

tasyāṃ cāturvarṇyaniveśe sarvabhogasahatvād avaravarṇaprāyā śreyasī, bāhulyād dhruvatvāc ca kṛṣyāḥ karṣakavatī, kṛṣyāś cānyeṣāṃ cārambhāṇāṃ prayojakatvāt gorakṣakavatī, paṇyanicayarṇānugrahād āḍhyavaṇigvatī //

In colonizing a land with four castes, colonization with the lowest caste is better, inasmuch as it is serviceable in various ways, plentiful, and permanent.

Of cultivated and uncultivated tracts, the uncultivated tract may be suitable for various kinds of agricultural operations; and when it is fertile, adapted for pasture grounds, manufacture of merchandise, mercantile transactions of borrowing and lending, and attractive to rich merchants, it is still far better (than a cultivated tract).

7.11.22

bhūmiguṇānām apāśrayaḥ śreyān //

Which is better of the two, the tract of land with forts or that which is thickly populated?

7.11.23

durgāpāśrayā puruṣāpāśrayā vā bhūmir iti puruṣāpāśrayā śreyasī //

The latter is better; for that which is thickly populated is a kingdom in all its senses. What can a depopulated country like a barren cow be productive of?

7.11.24

puruṣavad dhi rājyam //

7.11.25

apuruṣā gaur vandhy eva kiṃ duhīta //

7.11.26

mahākṣayavyayaniveśāṃ tu bhūmim avāptukāmaḥ pūrvam eva kretāraṃ paṇeta durbalam arājabījinaṃ nirutsāham apakṣam anyāyavṛttiṃ vyasaninaṃ daivapramāṇaṃ yatkiṃcanakāriṇaṃ vā //

The king who is desirous of getting back the land sold for colonization to another when the latter has lost his men and money in colonizing it, should first make an agreement with such a purchaser as is weak, base-born, devoid of energy, helpless, of unrighteous character, addicted to evil ways, trusting to fate, and indiscreet in his actions. When the colonization of a land entails much expenditure of men and money, and when a weak and base-born man attempts to colonize it, he will perish along with his people in consequence of his loss of men and money. Though strong, a base-born man will be deserted by his people who do not like him lest they may come to grief under him; though possessing an army, he cannot employ it if he is devoid of energy; and such an army will perish in consequence of the loss incurred by its master; though possessing wealth, a man who hesitates to part with his money and shows favour to none, cannot find help in any quarter; and when it is easy to drive out a man of unrighteous character from the colony in which he has firmly established himself, none can expect that a man of unrighteous character would be capable of colonizing a tract of waste land and keeping it secure; the same fact explains the fate of such a colonizer as is addicted to evil ways; whoever, trusting to fate and putting no reliance on manliness, withdraws himself from energetic work, will perish without undertaking anything or without achieving anything from his undertakings; and whoever is indiscreet in his actions will achieve nothing, and is the worst of the set of the colonizers.

7.11.27

mahākṣayavyayaniveśāyāṃ hi bhūmau durbalo rājabījī niviṣṭaḥ sagandhābhiḥ prakṛtibhiḥ saha kṣayavyayenāvasīdati //

7.11.28

balavān arājabījī kṣayavyayabhayād asagandhābhiḥ prakṛtibhis tyajyate //

7.11.29

nirutsāhas tu daṇḍavān api daṇḍasyāpraṇetā sadaṇḍaḥ kṣayavyayenāvabhajyate //

7.11.30

kośavān apy apakṣaḥ kṣayavyayānugrahahīnatvān na kutaścit prāpnoti //

7.11.31

anyāyavṛttir niviṣṭam apy utthāpayet //

7.11.32

sa katham aniviṣṭaṃ niveśayet //

7.11.33

tena vyasanī vyākhyātaḥ //

7.11.34

daivapramāṇo mānuṣahīno nirārambho vipannakarmārambho vāvasīdati //

7.11.35

yatkiṃcanakārī na kiṃcid āsādayati //

7.11.36

sa caiṣāṃ pāpiṣṭhatamo bhavati //

7.11.37

"yatkiṃcidārabhamāṇo hi vijigīṣoḥ kadācic chidram āsādayed" ity ācāryāḥ //

My teacher says that an indiscreet colonizer may sometimes betray the weak points of his employer, the conqueror.

7.11.38

yathā chidraṃ tathā vināśam apy āsādayed iti kauṭilyaḥ //

But Kautilya says that, just as he betrays the weak points, so also does he facilitate his destruction by the conqueror.

7.11.39

teṣām alābhe yathā pārṣṇigrāhopagrahe vakṣyāmas tathā bhūmim avasthāpayet //

In the absence of such persons to colonize waste lands, the conqueror may arrange for the colonization of waste land in the same way as we shall treat of later on in connection with the "Capture of an enemy in the rear."

7.11.40

ity abhihitasaṃdhiḥ //

The above is what is termed verbal agreement (abhihitasandhih).

7.11.41

guṇavatīm ādeyāṃ vā bhūmiṃ balavatā krayeṇa yācitaḥ saṃdhim avasthāpya dadyāt //

When a king of immense power compels another to sell a portion of the latter's fertile territory of which the former is very fond, then the latter may make an agreement with the former and sell the land. This is what is termed "unconcealed peace" (anibhritasandhih).

7.11.42

ity anibhṛtasaṃdhiḥ //

7.11.43

samena vā yācitaḥ kāraṇam avekṣya dadyāt "pratyādeyā me bhūmir vaśyā vā, anayā pratibaddhaḥ paro me vaśyo bhaviṣyati bhūmivikrayād vā mitrahiraṇyalābhaḥ kāryasāmarthyakaro me bhaviṣyati" iti //

When a king of equal power demands land from another as above, then the latter may sell it after considering "whether the land can be recovered by me, or can be kept under my control; whether my enemy can be brought under my power in consequence of his taking possession of the land; and whether I can acquire by the sale of the land friends and wealth, enough to help me in my undertakings."

7.11.44

tena hīnaḥ kretā vyākhyātaḥ //

This explains the case of a king of inferior power, who purchases lands.

7.11.45

evaṃ mitraṃ hiraṇyaṃ ca sajanām ajanāṃ ca gām /
labhamāno 'tisaṃdhatte śāstravit sāmavāyikān //E

Whoever, well versed in the science of polity, thus acquires friends, wealth, and territory with or without population will overreach other kings in combination with him.