Kautilya’s Arthashastra: an intellectual portrait: the classical roots of modern politics in India

Jayant Prasad

Jayant Prasad was Director General, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi. He was India’s Ambassador to Afghanistan, Algeria, Nepal, and the UN Conference on Disarmament, Geneva. At headquarters,… Continue reading Kautilya’s Arthashastra: an intellectual portrait: the classical roots of modern politics in India read more

The generalist reader, as also those interested in indigenous historical knowledge, owes a debt of gratitude to Professor Subrata K. Mitra and Dr. Michael Liebig for bringing out this remarkable study. This is especially so since the IDSA has been investing for several years now in studying indigenous historical knowledge and its links to modern Indian political thought. Professor Mitra and Dr. Liebig bring out, in their unique interpretive account, how the inheritance of Kautilya’s philosophy is embedded in India’s political praxis right through its history and how this text is connected to contemporary India.