Indian Antiquary Vol 34

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 13

JANUARY, 1905.]
CHANAKYA'S LAND AND REVENUE POLIOY.
7
The Arthakastra is, in its author's own words, "divided into fifteen books, containing on the whole 150 chapters, which in 6,000 granthasło deal with 180 themes."
The 1st Book deals with the training, discipline, and personal safəty of kings and their ministers. The and Book treats of the several Departments of State and of the administrative work carried on in those departments. The srd and 4th Books are devoted to the description of the administration of Civil and Oriminal law. The 8th Book describes the duties of Government servants towards the king and of those of the king towards his servants. The 8th Book deals with rise and progress of States. The 7th Book treats of the six-fold diplomacy or polioy of kings. The 8th Book deals with the vioes to which kings are liable. The 9th, 10th, 12th, 18th, and 14th Books are devoted to the description of military matters in their various aspects. The 14th Book deals with such measures as are supposed to secure peace and plenty to States. The 15th Book describes the plan on which the Arthaídatra has been composed.
In the following pages translated extracts are headed by a numeral in hervy type and notes relating to them by the word “Note' in heavy type.
EXTRAOT I.
LAND LAWS.
(A) Polttoal Divisions of Land.
The king shall open out new villages, consisting of from a hundred to five hundred houses, and inhabited for the most part only by the Sadras and other cultivating classes of people. The villages shall be situated in such a way that they should be a league or two distant from each other so that they could help each other against enemies. The boundaries of each of the villages shall be marked by rivers, mountains, forests, natural or artificial caves, artificial contrivances of various designs or by trees mimosa suma, semul tree, or by trees whose juice is milky. A fortress of wooden posts shall be constructed round every village at a distance of a handred yards from it.
The centre of eight hundred villages shall be the seat of a fortress called sthånya. A fortress, called Dröņamukha, shall be constructed in the centre of four hundred villages. Two hundred villages shall have at their centre a fortress called Kadrodtika. A fortress called Sangrahana shall be constructed at the centre of ten villages.
The boundaries of kingdoms shall have fortresses manned by brave soldiers. The entrances of fortified cities shall over be guarded likewise. The interior portions of kingdoms shall be protected on all sides by hanters, fowlers, mountaineers, and ChandAlas.
10-39 ayllables make one grantha.