Kautilya Flashcards
what was the caste system hierarchy
Brahmins (priests, teachers)
Kshatriyas (Kings, Warriors)
Vaishyas (merchants and traders)
Sudras (working class)
Dalit (Untouchables, technically excluded from system)
how did Varna reflect spiritual purity
if you were lighter skinned, then you were considered more spiritually pure (made mobility between ranks impossible)
what was the purpose of K’s arthashastra
to tell us how a king should govern
who was K
Purported to be a chief minister to Chandragupta, but there is no evidence of this
why was K’s arthashastra so radical
because it was somewhat blasphemous because a king was supposed to be trained by dharma, but Kautilya encourages the use of spying, betrayal, deception and assassinations for the quest of power
what was K’s danda
administration of punishment, governing through constructive coercion which must be applied wisely and strategically to maintain order
what is K’s view of human nature
he is highly skeptical of humans, presumption of a hostile environment, expectation of corrupt / incompetent individuls
K’s should present a public image of
exemplary qualities, while being use deception / subterfuge when necessary
What form of justice does K recommend
public performance of justice
what should a successful king have according to K
self controlled in their intellectual and physical pursuits, take the advice of elders and counselors, protection from the lure of destructive vices and outmanuever their enemies
K’s king is educated on
reasoned inquiry, religious authority, economics and government, able to resist vices
in K’s city the day-to-day administration is divided between
the collector (governor) and city manager (mayor)
what is the role of the city manager
they use spies and subordinates to determine taxes, determine whether people are conspiring against the king, punish those who are
