Legal and Administrative Principles in Kautilyas Arthashastra: A Comparative Study with Modern Governance

Kautilya’s Arthashastra, composed around the 4th century BCE, remains one of the most sophisticated treatises on statecraft, law, and administration in the ancient world. It elaborates on the principles of dharma (law), dandaniti (penal policy), fiscal management, foreign relations, and governance structures. Far from being merely a manual of political expediency, it presents a systematic jurisprudence where law and order are seen as the bedrock of social and political stability.