PREFACE
Since the publication of the Kautilya's Arthaśāstra by R. Shamasastry in 1909, it has been studied by several scholars mainly from the administrative point of view. As it is the com-pendium of ancient Indian political thought, originally composed in the reign of Chandragupta Maurya, most of the scholars have studied it for throwing light on the political ideas, institutions and practices of the Mauryan period. It is to be noted that Kautilya did not write this text solely with this intention, rather his approach was universal. It is needless to enumerate the published titles concerning the Arthasastra dealing with politi-cal theories, administrative system, financial matters and allied subjects.
Kautilya is the first political philospher who thinks that the state should involve itself in different spheres of economic activities for enriching its treasury which is the basis for the maintenance of the army and executing its plans. This particular aspect has been neglected by the scholars who have studied this text though it is relevant to the present system of public undertakings. In the present book, I have made an humble attempt to study the subject in its proper context by utilising the original text and corroborating the information gathered from it with archaeological objects unearthed from the sites and lay-ers ascribed to the Mauryan and the subsequent period. I have studied the subject in its complete structural framework which throws abundant light on the origin and development of state undertakings. I have also taken note of the changes which took place after Kautilya. I have utilised epigraphic and numismatic evidences to support my conclusions. Besides, an attempt has been made to highlight parallel developments in some of the contemporary societies, namely, the Greek, with which India had intimate political and cultural contacts at that time.
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