Heera Singh

Student Id-20185072

Kautilya’s Saptang Theory of State

Introduction
Kautilya was a great philosopher, statesman and economist, He was
contemporary to Alexander and Aristotle. Kautilya was the chief counselor of
the Indian Emperor Chandragupta Maurya. He was the first person who united
all the small kingdoms of his time . History is not certain about Kautilya, but it is
sure that Kautilya was a historical person and he was the author of compilation
of a work on politics, a work that has affected a great ability on the development
of political thoughts in traditional India, in the some sense in modern period.
Kautilya collected his lifelong work in Arthasastra. Kautilya is traditionally known
as the author of Arthasastra. It means ―Science of Politics. This Sanskrit work
was written in the end of the 4th century B.C. there are different opinions about
it, The Arthasastra was also believed to have been lost more than 1400 years
and it was known through only references and word, from it in subsequent
works in politics in Sanskrit. So, we are not totally unaware history, but we know
things with certainty.

Kautilya‘s Arthasastra
Kautilya‘s Arthasastra is not small work, it is in prose, it has many section and
subsections. Kautilya‘s Arthasastra is divided in fifteen Adhikarnas {section} and
180 Prakarnas {subsections}. It is divided into fifteen parts and it contains six
thousand hymns (shlokas) it is an inclusive manual on a method of a state, how
it be ruled and administrated by a king. In the modern period we have many
English translations of Kautilya‘s Arthasastra. Kautilya is political realist and gives
effect of being amoral. The Arthasastra is an ancient Indian treatise on political
economics, statecraft and military strategy. There is controversy on the
authorship about the text, there are different opinions about it, while some
believe that it is the work of many writers of different generations who related
to school of political thought. There is controversy about the date of compilation
of Arthasastra too. Mostly Kautilya‘s Arthasastra is compared to Machavelli‘s
Prince‘, in the terms of it content as a political theory.

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Content of Kautilya‘s Arthasastra
There are fifteen chapters in Kautilya’s Arthasastar, below is the diagram
of these with name of each.

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Seven/Saptang Elements of State

According to Kautilya, there are seven elements of the state are: 1.Swami
2.Amatyas, 3.Janapada,4. Durga, 5. Kosa, 6. Danda 7.Mitra.

Mitra Swami

Danda Amatyas

Kosa Janapada

Durga

1) Swami (The Ruler)

The first element of the state according to kautilya is Swami which in

ruler or king of the state. According to kautilya, the swami occupies a
very important position in the state. An ideal swami, according to
kautilya is a native of the territory and is a noble by birth, he should
have many qualities like, he should have quality to inspires confidence
in people related to state administer and it populations, ruler should
be easily approachable, also he should have qualities of truthfulness,
piousness, sharp intellect, bravery, quickness of decision and strength
of mind. King should not be afraid of death. He is said to be the
sovereign but in the restricted sense. The ruler should be a person who
founds the personal attachment the state. The ruler should act as the
head of state and also shoulders above others. He should be
exemplary and ideal of for the state.

2) Amatya

The second most important element state is Amatya or the minister.

It is like administered necessity for the state because according to
Kautilya though king can be a powerful, but he cannot run the

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 administration without help. Therefore, king has to take the support
and service of the ministers for the effective administration of his
state. The Amatyas are the persons in the charge of the whole
administration. Therefore, for the working of whole sate system the
minister are very important.

3) Janapada (The Population)

The third element of state, according to kautilya ,is janapada (the

territory with people settled on it), which literally means population
and land. Janapada, as well-defined in the Arthasastra, specified both
region and populace. Kautilya sates that perfect territory of the state
should be lacking rocky, saline, uneven and throny tracts, it also should
be unrestricted from wildernesses, animal like as tigers and wild
creatures, and it should have wood, productive lands, and elephant
jungles.

4) Durga (The Fortified Capital)

According to kautilya, the fourth element of the state is Durga (the

fort), meaning a fortification. It also used by Manu and Sukra, as Pura.
As a synonym of puIra, it should also stand for the fortified capital. In
fact, two terms, two independent sections of Arthasastra,
‘durgavidana and durganivesa’is offered by Kautilya. It signifies
soldierly institution and its aim include both goals at the
simultaneously defends the people form natural disasters, so that at
the time of danger the people of the state could come and seek shelter
under it and also durga/fort is some kind of collection, a storage of
military atrilleries and ammunition. At the time of war, durga helped
the purpose of defence system. So, it is necessary for the very physical
existence of state.

5) Kosha (The Treasury)

The fourth element of state is Kosa (Treasury) kautilya described it as

most important element of state in the Arthasastra because survival
of all the other activities of the state depend on finance and, therefore,
prime consideration should be given to the treasury. He provides the
knowledge of the all various sources that can contribute to the

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 advance or decrease of treasury. The treasury should be lawfully under
acquired by the king’s ancestors or by the king himself and it should be
filled with gold, silver, precious jewels and gems. According to kautilya
the treasury should be rich enough to resist the calamity when the
state has no income for a long time. More precisely, Kautilya says that
without treasury, it is difficult to preserve the army and to keep it
trustworthy. Therefore, the treasure is necessary for running of state.

6) Danda (The Army)

The fifth element is army or military. For the existent and sovereignty
every state needed a regular, large, disciplined and well-trained
military. It is central need of state for the security of the state-run. The
militias should be enlisted from those families which are traditionally
associated with military. The soldiers should pay appropriate money,
and their families should be taken care with special efforts from the
state. Without appropriate training and equipment army can do its
assign work therefore it is must for state. The king should involve
directly army and also should have some sense of personal relations
so the soldiers can sacrifice their life for him. So it important for to
preserve the sovereignty of state and dignity.

7) Mitra (Ally and Friend)

The last element of state according to Kautilya is mitra (friend), it also
know in some version of text as is also known as suhrid .He assert that
the ally should include the quality of to a be true friend and it should
be free from any possibility of rupture with him and he should be
ready to offers help whenever the occasion demands, more
importantly the friendship should be developed on hereditary basis to
ensure continuity in inter-state relationship. Only a man of virtue can
be a mIitra, for, according to kautilya, a neighbouring king who is
greedy, unjust and an evildoer is most likely to be an opponent.
Kautilya’s conception of mitra is not based on political or military
pragmatism but on ethical principles and affirms that, for Kautilya, the
state is not an instrument of self-aggrandizement in the hands of the
king but partakes of socio-ethical principles. The mention of allies as
an element of the state is highly significant in indicating not only the
existence but also the importance of inter-state relations and the
prevalence of some sort of international law. This strengthens the
existence then of the concept of the political nation state as it exists
today.

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Conclusion
As we discussed above the Kautilya‘s Arthasastra is the text on the state, it talks
in detailed about the management of state, the text describe every element of state
in detail, however Kautilya‘s Arthasastra more focus on the practical aspect of
state. Kautilya‘s Arthasastra is both way important because it talks about theory
and also show its practical aspect. Therefore, the importance of Kautilya‘s
Arthasastra is crucial because it show the India fundamental thought of politics.
As we discussed above the seven elements of state, these are the fundamental
elements of state and these all elements are universal, every state in world have
it, so Kautilya‘s Arthasastra is not only restricted to India, but it have universal
implications, therefore, it is crucial to discuss Kautilya‘s Arthasastra with the
comparison of the world political thought.