ABSTRACT
Women in Kautilya's Arthashastra: Persons, Addictions and Weapons
Roger Boesche
How did Kautilya regard women in his Arthashastra (c. 300 B.C.E.)? In comparison with other writers of approximately his century, Kautilya treated women in a more egalitarian manner and with respect. One finds no comments in the Arthashastra about women being impure or dirty, about women having to stay with a husband who is abusive, about women having to live in a sort of cruel dependence because they had no property, and about women not being protected by the law from violence by others. Indeed, Kautilya showed a remarkable respect for women individually and thought them wise and clever enough to serve the kingdom in important and often dangerous ways. To give several examples, he sought to recruit women to protect the king, to be spies, and to serve as assassins. Women, however, can become a sexual addiction that a wise king must avoid by enjoying sexual pleasure only in moderation.