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Sunday, March 15, 2026
TopicKautilya

Topic: Kautilya

Kautilya’s ‘Arthashastra’, Manu’s laws—Ancient India had rich literature on jurisprudence

Today, the plaintiff is expected to provide evidence in court. Jurists in ancient India saw the issue as more complex—the burden of proof was determined after both parties had spoken.

Actors of ancient India performed with ‘weapons, fire & poison’. Kautilya wasn’t a fan

Travelling troupes of actors and singers were prime opportunities to sneak in spies and infiltrate enemy kingdoms. Knowing this, Kautilya imposed several rules on their performance.

Rome to Kabul, ancient India was a global player in trade. Kautilya’s Arthshastra tells all

Ancient Indians carried out a thriving global trade in a dazzling array of goods, from pearls, corals, and silk to wine, warhorses, and elephants.

Why it’s time India goes back to Kautilya’s idea of ‘dharmic capitalism’

Don’t limit Kautilya to antiquarian studies. His Arthashastra is for the modern world shows Sriram Balasubramanian in his book Kautilyanomics.

A Carnatic singer, historian, Sanskrit professor revive Ashoka as India turns to Kautilya

Magsaysay awardee and musician T.M. Krishna launched an ambitious second edition of The Edict Project with Ashoka University Tuesday.

Kautilya was no Machiavelli, he’s the most pre-eminent economist in history

In ‘Kautilyanomics’, Sriram Balasubramanian writes that even though the name Kautilya is often used in politics today, no one knows much about the man.

Russia-Ukraine conflict has a ‘Kautilyan’ side to it. And pointers for India

The ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict shows how the legacy of Kautilyan statecraft in global public perception has shifted away from Machiavellianism to the ‘use of diplomacy’.

New marching tunes, no more pre-1947 battle honours — armed forces set to get more ‘Indian’

Greater emphasis on Indian war heroes and texts such as Arthashastra in military studies being examined. Endeavour is to implement changes by India's 75th year of Independence next year.

Modi’s only respite now is to adopt Kautilya’s doctrine. But first, own up your mistake

Rajdharma coupled with Anvikshiki, the philosophical foundation of Arthashastra, is the need of the hour.

Why China is the Kautilya of international politics

While the disengagement in Ladakh is apace, China is well placed in the rajamandala to carry on its hostility towards India by means other than war.

On Camera

Menstrual leave doesn’t work in ‘real world’. And that real world is designed by, for men

When a woman menstruates, when/if she decides to marry, when/if she decides to have kids, should not be factors when looking at a woman’s potential from a hiring standpoint.

US strike on Iran’s key oil export island Kharg raises fears of wider supply disruption

President Trump said the US had bombed military targets on Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, but spared oil infrastructure.

Supreme Leader Mojtaba, the man Iran must keep alive & the secret force ‘tasked with it’—all about NOPO

The Nirouyeh Vijeh Pasdaran Velayat, or NOPO, was the only force Ali Khamenei trusted.It was founded in 1991 and is more feared than the Revolutionary Guards.

Peaceful power transfers followed uprisings in India’s neighbourhood. It’s a sign of mature democracies

Rating democracies is a tricky business. I am only using the simple metric of who in the Indian subcontinent has had the most peaceful, stable, normal political transitions and continuity.