Arthashastra and Rajatarangini
Two Sanskrit classics: a manual of statecraft and economics, and a 12th-century chronicle of Kashmir's kings.
What the paper can ask
- Arthashastra: 15 books, 150 chapters and 180 topics. R. Shamasastry identified the manuscript in 1905; his English translation came out in instalments from 1905 to 1909 and as a book in 1915.
- Scholars such as Patrick Olivelle see the Arthashastra as built in layers by several hands, with the final form reached by about 175 to 300 CE, though tradition places it in the 3rd century BCE.
- Rajatarangini: Sanskrit, 12th century CE, in eight books, starting with legendary kings and ending with the Lohara dynasty. Later writers (Jonaraja, Srivara, Suka) continued the story up to 1597.
- Rajatarangini translators include Aurel Stein (edition and English translation, 1900) and R. S. Pandit (1935).
Why exams ask
Setters ask for the author of each text, its subject and century, and who rediscovered or translated it.
The full story
The Arthashastra is an ancient Sanskrit treatise on statecraft, economics and military strategy. It was lost for centuries until a manuscript turned up in Mysore in 1905. The Rajatarangini is a Sanskrit chronicle of the kings of Kashmir, from legendary rulers down to the historical age, written in the 12th century CE.
In the news
Test yourself
1.The Arthashastra, the ancient treatise on statecraft and economics, is attributed to:
Correct. Kautilya, minister to Chandragupta Maurya, wrote the Arthashastra; Megasthenes wrote Indica, Kalhana Rajatarangini and Banabhatta Harshacharita.
Not quite. Kautilya, minister to Chandragupta Maurya, wrote the Arthashastra; Megasthenes wrote Indica, Kalhana Rajatarangini and Banabhatta Harshacharita. It goes into your error book.
2.Rajatarangini, a 12th century chronicle of the kings of Kashmir, was written by:
Correct. Kalhana's Sanskrit Rajatarangini (River of Kings, 1148-49) is considered the first historical chronicle in India; Bilhana wrote Vikramankadevacharita.
Not quite. Kalhana's Sanskrit Rajatarangini (River of Kings, 1148-49) is considered the first historical chronicle in India; Bilhana wrote Vikramankadevacharita. It goes into your error book.