The Rise of Empires
Kauṭilya's saptānga
Learn Kauṭilya's ideas about how a kingdom should be built and run.
Kauṭilya had a clear plan for how a kingdom (rājya) should be built and run. His famous book is the *Arthaśhāstra*, 'the science of governance and economics'. It gives rules on defence, money, government, justice, town planning, farming and people's welfare.
One of his biggest ideas is the saptānga: the seven parts of a kingdom (sapta = seven, anga = limb). Like a body, a kingdom needs all its limbs:
| Sanskrit | Part |
|---|---|
| swāmi | the king |
| amātya | councillors, ministers, high officials |
| janapada | the territory and its people |
| durga | fortified towns and cities |
| koṣha | the treasury, the kingdom's wealth |
| daṇḍa | forces for defence and law and order |
| mitra | allies, friends |
Look at the list: not just the king and the army, but also the people, the money and the friends. Miss one, and the kingdom is incomplete.
Together the seven should make a kingdom settled, safe and prosperous, kept going by war or by peace treaties, whichever fits. He wanted law and order, a strong administration, laws against corruption, and punishments for anything that harmed the people.
On villages he is clear: a king grows strong by looking after his people, because power comes from the countryside, where all the economy begins. The king should reward people who build embankments and bridges, make villages beautiful, or help protect them.
His central idea, in simple words: a king is happy only when his people are happy. He should not count as good only what pleases himself, but whatever pleases his people. It's kind, and it's also smart: the people's work is the king's wealth.
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