Arthasastra: Selections from the Classic Indian Work on Statecraft

Editor-translators McClish (religion, Birmingham-Southern College) and Olivelle (Sanskrit and Indian religion, UT Austin) present selections from the Arthasastra, a classical compendium of best practices for kings written in India around the beginning of the Common Era. The editors provide a detailed introduction of the text, its composition and authorship, and various historical contexts. The text itself is structured according to books and more limited sub-topics and in these selections elucidate the finer points of central administration, judiciary, internal security and suppression of criminal activity, foreign affairs, and waging war. An index of passages accompanies a standard index in the back. Annotation ©2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)