The World of Courtesans c7.3

c7.3

The emphasis in the *Arthashastra* is mainly on an urban culture with the king as the pivot round which the wheels of the state moved. He organized his administrative departments in a manner so as to ensure the smooth working of the socio-economic life of the people. Kautilya was a stark realist as far as administration was concerned and no ethical concept deterred him from the path which he considered right for the safe conduct of the affairs of the state. To strengthen the state's finances he even advocated morally dubious means of earning revenues. One such source of revenue—reprehensible from the ethical viewpoint—was the organization of courtesans and prostitutes under the watchful eyes of a superintendent. This was arranged with a view to receiving a fixed percentage of the fees and gifts which the courtesans received from their clients. These women of ill-fame formed a class of their own, apart from the courtesans who were exclusively in the service of the king. According to Curtius, when Indian rulers went on a hunt, the courtesans bowed to them, and to the accompaniment of their songs the kings hunted. Curtius seems to be extremely prejudiced against the extravagance of the royal procession, which used to be accompanied by courtesans. To quote him, "That no form of shameless profligacy may be wanting, he is accompanied by a long train of courtesans carried in golden palanquins, and this troop holds a separate place in the procession from the queen's retinue, and is as sumptuously appointed. His food is prepared by women who also serve him with wine which is much used by all the Indians. When the king falls into a drunken sleep, his courtesans carry him away to his bedchamber, invoking the gods of the night in their native hymns."