History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v1.c6.s14.24

v1.c6.s14.24

The whole work on account of its careful arrangement of topics and unity of design impresses one as the product of a single brilliant mind. The Kauṭilīya sheds such valuable light on the social, economic, political and religious life of ancient India and contains information on so many topics that it is not possible to convey any idea of its contents in a brief summary. The subjects of the fifteen *adhikaraṇas* are:— I. the discipline of the king, sciences to be learnt by him, the place of Ānvīkṣikī and politics, qualifications of ministers and purohita and their temptations, the institution of spies, council meetings, ambassadors, protection of princes, duties towards harem, king's personal safety; II. about superintendents of various state departments, founding villages, pastures and forests, forts, duties of the chamberlain (*sannidhātā*), the commissioner for revenues from forts, country, mines, forests, roads &c.; accountant-general's office; embezzlement of public funds; royal edicts; examination of precious stones for the treasury and mines; superintendent of gold (i. e. of coins issued from the mints); superintendent of store-house (of agricultural produce &c.), of commerce, of forests, of arms, of weights and measures, of tolls, of weaving, of liquor houses, of slaughter houses, of prostitutes, of shipping, of cows and horses, of the capital and cities; III. Administration of justice, rules of procedure, forms of marriage, duties of married couples, strīdhana, twelve kinds of sons; other titles of law; IV. removal of thorns, protection of artisans, merchants, remedies against national calamities such as fires, floods, pestilence, famines, demons, tigers, snakes, etc; suppression of those who live by foul means; detection of juvenile crime; arrest of criminals on suspicion, accidental or violent deaths, torture to extort confessions; protection of all kinds of state departments; fines in lieu of cutting off of limbs, sentence of death with or without torture; intercourse with maidens; punishment of fine for various wrongs; V. conduct of courtiers, award of punishment for treason, replenishing of treasury in case of emergency; salaries of state servants, qualifications of courtiers, consolidation of royal power; VI. constitution of the maṇḍala, seven elements of sovereignty, qualities of king, peace and arduous work as the source of prosperity; sixfold royal policy; threefold *śakti*; VII. circle of states is the field for the employment of the six lines of policy; the six *guṇas* (saṁdhi, war, neutrality, marching, taking shelter and dvaidhībhāva); causes leading to the dwindling and disloyalty of armies; combination of states; saṁdhi for the acquisition of a friend, gold or land; an enemy in the rear; recouping of lost strength; a neutral king and a circle of states; VIII. about *vyasanas* (vices and misfortunes) of the several elements of sovereignty; troubles of the king and the kingdom; troubles of men and of the army; IX. work of an invader, proper time for invasion, recruitment of the army, accoutrements, internal and external trouble, disaffection; traitors, enemies and their allies; X. about war; encamping the army, march of the army, battle-fields, work of infantry, cavalry, elephants &c.; array of troops for battle in various formations; XI. concerning corporations and guilds; XII. concerning a powerful enemy; sending an envoy; intrigues, spies with weapons, fire and poison and destruction of stores and granaries; capture of the enemy by stratagems; final victory; XIII. capture of forts; sowing dissensions; enticing of king by stratagem; spies in a siege; restoring peace in a conquered country; XIV secret means, strategems for killing an enemy, producing illusive appearances; medicines and incantations; XV division of this work into sections and their illustrations.