A History of Hindu Political Theories from the Earliest Times to the End of the First Quarter of the Seventeenth Century A.D. c9.57

c9.57

While on the subject of foreign policy Kauṭilya makes some very sensible remarks regarding the manner in which the evil condition of the subjects renders the king open to attack from outside, and he advises how this should be remedied. In the chapter in which he develops this point, he first discusses in a series of pairs the question as to which one of two kings is to be marched against in preference to the other. The alternatives that he considers in this connection are *inter alia* an enemy of virtuous character but under grave troubles and one having a vicious character and disaffected subjects but suffering from less trouble, an enemy whose subjects are impoverished and greedy and another whose subjects are oppressed, and lastly, an enemy that is powerful but of wicked disposition and one who is weak but righteous. After giving his opinion on these cases Kauṭilya launches into a minute analysis of those faults on the king's part that create impoverishment, greed and disaffection, among the subjects. When the people become impoverished, Kauṭilya goes on, they become greedy; when greedy, they become disaffected; and when disaffected, they either go over to the enemy's camp or themselves slay their master. Hence the king, Kauṭilya concludes, should avoid those causes that produce impoverishment, greed and disaffection among his people. Continuing the discussion about the remedies in the following lines, the author considers that the loss of gold and grain on the part of the subjects imperils the whole kingdom and is hard to be remedied, while the loss of efficient men can be made up for by means of gold and grain. The greed of the subjects, Kauṭilya thinks, can be removed by allowing them to plunder the enemy's wealth. Lastly, disaffection can be got rid of by putting down the leaders, for the people deprived of their leaders are easy to be governed, and are incapable of being seduced by the intrigues of the enemy.