"Arthasashtra, a seminal text on ancient Indian statecraft primarily studied by historians and political scientists has at long last found a brilliant interpreter. Medha Bisht’s meticulously researched and lucidly argued work is stunning in its scope and extremely stimulating."
—Pushpesh Pant, Former Professor, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
"This is a book that I was waiting for. Medha Bisht has revived and made contemporary the political cum philosophical text of Kautilya. She navigates and integrates the foundational Indic text and tradition seamlessly with various disciplines. A refreshing piece of work of knowledge production. Recommended as a text book for International Studies, social science, strategic studies and International Relations."
—Pradeep Kumar Gautam, Consultant to the Indigenous Historical Knowledge Project at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi
"As scholars of political science and international relations from around the world begin to discover the non-Western contributions to the understanding of power, order, justice and statecraft, Medha Bisht offers a rich and rewarding theoretical engagement with Kautilya’s Arthashastra."
—C. Raja Mohan, Director, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore
"For whatever reason, the western scholars have mostly ignored the Arthasastra, a majestic work on statecraft by Kautilya, a third-century bc Indian scholar and statesman. Rooted in the Hindu philosophy and the concept of Dharma, Arthasastra, a grand strategic work, deals with the nature of state, power, morality, ends-mean-ways, and foreign policy. Using modern political science vocabulary, Medha Bisht inquires into Arthasastra’s philosophy, ideas and methodology and their contemporary relevance. Deserving wide readership, this is a serious work of scholarship aimed at western political scientists."
—Arvind Gupta, Director, Vivekananda International Foundation and Former Deputy National Security Adviser, Government of India
‘Arthasashtra, a seminal text on ancient Indian statecraft primarily studied by historians and political scientists has at long last found a brilliant interpreter. Medha Bisht’s meticulously researched and lucidly argued work is stunning in its scope and extremely stimulating.’
—Pushpesh Pant, Former Professor, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
‘This is a book that I was waiting for. Medha Bisht has revived and made contemporary the political cum philosophical text of Kautilya. She navigates and integrates the foundational Indic text and tradition seamlessly with various disciplines. A refreshing piece of work of knowledge production . Recommended as a text book for International Studies, social science, strategic studies and International Relations .’
—Pradeep Kumar Gautam, Consultant to the Indigenous Historical Knowledge Project at the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi
'As scholars of political science and international relations from around the world begin to discover the non-Western contributions to the understanding of power, order, justice and statecraft, Medha Bisht offers a rich and rewarding theoretical engagement with Kautilya’s Arthashastra.'
—C. Raja Mohan, Director, Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore
‘For whatever reason, the Western scholars have mostly ignored the Arthasastra, a majestic work on statecraft by Kautilya, a 3rd century BC Indian scholar and statesman. Rooted in the Hindu philosophy and the concept of Dharma, Arthasastra, a grand strategic work, deals with the nature of state, power, morality, ends-mean-ways, and foreign policy. Using modern political science vocabulary, Medha Bisht inquires into Arthasastra’s philosophy, ideas and methodology and their contemporary relevance. Deserving wide readership, this is a serious work of scholarship aimed at western political scientists.’
—Arvind Gupta, Director, Vivekananda International Foundation and Former Deputy National Security Adviser, Government of India
