History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.299.5

v4.c62.299.5

4-6 Kauṭilya dilates¹⁷² upon the employment by the samāhartṛ (Collector) of a host of spies for suppressing those who are thorns (or disturbers of peace), these being employed for detecting judges (dharmastha) and superintendents of various departments that take bribes, counterfeiters of coins, adulterers, thieves and robbers and other criminals. Kauṭilya relies in extreme cases on spies even in the decision of judicial matters. He says (III. 1 last verse) 'when owing to the depositions of witnesses the plaintiff's case and the defendant's case are both destroyed, when the cause of either of the parties is found through the spies to be false, then the decree shall be passed against that party'.¹⁷³ In Droṇaparva 75. 4 it is said that Kṛṣṇa had his spies in the army of Duryodhana and *vice versa* (74. 1). Śānti 69. 8-12 and 140. 39-42 mention the places where spies are to be set¹⁷⁴ up and emphasizes that they should not know each other. One need not feel surprised at the machinery of espionage that Kauṭilya so elaborately describes. All governments in modern times employ spies, informers and secret agents to keep themselves informed of the activities, views and resources of their opponents. We know also how the Indian Police, in order to catch offenders against the Prevention of Gambling Act or other similar Acts, employ agents with marked coins or notes and draw in their net unsuspecting people.