Artha, meaning wealth, is one of four supreme aims suggested by Hindu tradition. However, as the Arthashastra divulges, it has a much wider connotation, and the material well-being of individuals is just a part of it.
A curiously inclusive discourse of statecraft, the Arthashastra is testimony to Kautilya’s genius and foresight.
It may seem that the rich are taxed only by modern governments. But one look at history and we learn that it hasn’t changed much. In the Kautilyan state, we see that in times when the kingdom was strained of financial resources, the king would turn to the wealthy, so as to make-up for the shortage.
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