National Security in Kautilya’s Arthashastra: A Content Analysis

Abstract

To understand the Indian strategic culture, one must understand Kautilya’s Arthashastra. Contemporary Indian national security preferences show a parallel resonance to the teachings of Kautilya’s Arthashastra. However, the existence of national security variable in Arthashastra has been undermined by most of the researches. This research attempts to explore the national security variable in Kautilya’s Arthashastra using summative content analysis. Results show that 69.88% of the text of Arthashastra is purely dedicated to national security issues. The interpretation proves that national security is the prime theme of Kautilya’s Arthashastra that has been systematically classified as Saptanga Theory and Mandala Theory. Its sole aim is real power politics and the securing of a state’s national security interests.