Kautalya, Economic Planning and Climatology
By Benoy Kumar Sarkar
Summary
This article reviews Bernhard Breloer’s multi‑volume work on Kautilya’s Arthashastra from the perspective of comparative jurisprudence. Breloer portrays Kautilya as a brilliant statesman akin to Bismarck and analyses his systematic approach to statecraft, economics and climatology. The reviewer summarises Breloer’s discussion of Kautilya’s fiscal policies, state monopolies, price controls, regulation of agriculture, management of irrigation and famine relief, and his classification of regions according to climate and resources. The article notes Breloer’s view that Kautilya based economic planning on environmental conditions and emphasised efficient administration. While appreciating Breloer’s insights, the reviewer cautions against imposing modern theories on ancient texts and calls for developing new interpretations grounded in recently discovered evidence. The article situates Breloer’s work within the broader discourse on Hindu polity and law.
Conclusion
The review concludes that Kautilya’s Arthashastra displays sophisticated economic and environmental thinking, but modern analyses must critically assess their assumptions. Breloer’s study is valuable yet should prompt further research into ancient Indian political economy using new data.