#520 - The Arthashastra For Children

by Deepa Agarwal and illustrated by Radhika Dinesh

“The Arthashastra For Children” by Deepa Agarwal and illustrated by Radhika Dinesh. Published by Penguin. An exquisite and timeless written work of the intricate statecraft, political science, economic policy and military strategy from ancient India simplified for children to understand and appreciate.

The Arthashastra is an ancient text originally written in Sanskrit. It is considered to be one of the greatest treasures from ancient India. It is known as the pioneering treatise on the art of government compiled by Kautilya or Chanakya who was the prime minister of Chandragupta Maurya. The text finds references in a lot of works by ancient Indian writers as well as Greek historians but was believed to have been lost till over a century ago. In 1904, a startling discovery was made by Rudrapatna Shamasastry of an old and delicate palm leaf manuscript at the Mysore Oriental Library. The long lost document had finally been found. Shamsastry took up the next task of transcribing and publishing the text in Sanskrit first and English later. It was then translated into other foreign languages such as German and French. The text thus became accessible to a much wider audience.

The Arthashastra is a remarkable treatise and provides coverage on a wide range of topics right from the duties of a ruler to a well organised state to managing the finances of a state, town planning, law and justice, foreign affairs, spies and secret agents, business of war and so on. Each of these topics have been dealt in separate chapters and there are analogies of similar situations from the modern world or recent past to get a better understanding. The concepts outlined in the book are still relevant and relatable to today’s world. Read the incredible book to get a sampling of how fascinating the legacy bequeathed, by one of the greatest ancient Indians to the world, is.

The book left me and my 9.5 year old spellbound to say the least. We were left in awe at the brilliance of Chanakya and other scholars who must have contributed to a lifetime of work that has been compiled into the Arthashastra. And to bring it down to a simplified format that is understandable by children is no mean feat. The author has done a great job of explaining just the right amount with relatable examples from the recent past thereby giving a connection between the past and the present and showing how relevant it still is today. What we loved was the range of topics and how there was no dull moment whatsoever in the book. My son was hooked to the book and kept asking quite a few questions and discussing what he felt as we read. We couldn’t help feeling how our preconceived notion that a king’s life is easy and enjoyable had changed after reading the book. The accompanying illustrations helped us get a better understanding of the concepts being discussed and visualise what was being explained. The seemingly dry topics are anything but that and extremely interesting making it an engaging read.

The introduction in the book itself was captivating and we wondered how the manuscript making its way to the institute in Mysore might be an interesting story by itself if it ever comes to light. Reading the story of Chanakya by the same author in “Chanakya : The Master of Statecraft” recently helped us understand the book better. I have been binge watching the episodes of the teleserial from the 90s, Chanakya, on YouTube and was familiar with a lot of terms used in the book. So it was a lovely experience to read the book with my son. How I wish we had books like this while growing up which am sure would make many more appreciate what are commonly avoided as dry subjects. Overall this is a MUST READ book that needs to be on everyone’s bookshelf.

Recommended Age

The book is apt for children aged 11 and above.

Disclaimer - We received this book from the publisher, Penguin India, for review. Thank you to Mansi, from Penguin, for sending across the book!

P.S - For those of you interested in watching the serial on Chanakya on YouTube at this link. Children might find it a bit hard to follow on their own and will need assistance given the language.