Kautilya and the Arthaśāstra : a statistical investigation of the autorship and evolution of the text

243 Pages·1971·14.681 MB·English

by  Thomas R. Trautmann, Arthur Llewellyn Basham

l{AUTILYA AND TI-IE
, -
ARTI-IASASTRA
A STATISTICAL INVESTIGATION
OF THE
AUTHORSHIP AND EVOLUTION OF THE TEXT
U\'
THOMAS R. TRAUTMANN
\VITM A l'l<El"ACE O,Y
A. L. UASH.A.M
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l::'.11· ·1' . "
LEIDEN
E.]. BRILL
1971
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co,11i,U 1911 •1 IL J. Brill, Witt, Nt1bnl"""'
;Ill rigllts r1ur<ldd. 1Vo pn.-t of 14ll booA 1nay IHI roj>Toductd or
"tr'a n""s>la' t'O41lliiwtl'4 m1tN1n)1' 1/M1 w11lt,J broyu lp &rionrti,l tpuA1 Potto,,pnriinul,i qf'l"1 i/c"ro'"/i1.lm1 11,1 1m ip~uTb(l)ij.si/.1e1lru
H;1NTU1 IN Ttl.11 Nlmllillt.ANOS
FOR MAJ/CELLA

TABLI-: 01' CONTENTS
Preface •.•. •. IX
Ac:.k11owltdse1nents. Xllt
Abbrovi:Hion~ . . XVII
l. l<1n1tilyn :uul tho Arll1a.f4slru.
l [, 7'/u Cd'J(lltyo.C111ul.ra1uPf11·K•ll1I
The l~11i \'C!ll'lriiun- The jnh• \'«MOO - Tik! Kruitunirian
\'«lion - The Alrfdr6rlk>'fM Mil It. Ancillary J.ttll"'nltute -
l1ie Pri1rdlive Ql,..tJW..C..Nnip,..·KNM - Tiiie ~
\'t"Qioa. --TbeCittakpnl HtWWy.
r
Ill. The Arl~• and 1hc Stafr.,tical Mc.lbod in Author-
s:hip ProblmlS . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . • • 68
('o.-lll!Rt a11d Style - Strnch1ro 1'bo St•tirikal llcitbod in
1\11lhtin.ltlp l·'r0b~n111 - A PU11t Sl1nly uf lbo :fTIMi.lcTM11 -
Hir:tlqty.
IV. \Vor<l" as l)i:"Criminators . . , • . . . ')I
The 1•roliullna1')' Llll-t - Cof1trol Mal<.!li11I: )(11..rlC\I \Vork• -
Coou-ul !1.fatt.'f'L1.l: l"roelc \\1otk• -Tuttlnic lbe J'rt..fl111in.'\ry l.i11t
- l'J.rtiit;b in J(:1Jb:tl)ll - l~'CCunM•: A 1'ait ol AutbuNhlp for
N11.rrati\"V \'cnie - l>i11Cricninatln1: lllin.,...,.._ of the l':\rt.k:kf;
........
T,""jng the /ff'fNUsl.r• - Hoab 'I, J Mid 7 - Tiie Ht'maining
V, S•nlcn<e·l..cni;lb and Compound·1"'nglh. 12j
SHtilneo-[Angth - (.on1poond·Ufter:tb.
Vt. The ArlhaU.JJ.ra. Bba.ruci t\nd !\fec.U~iilithi. tJZ
l'w.r1tlkl T~'Cts -- Preftn'td Rc1ull11.j;~ ht Hhtn11d - Cunu'nt'tl··
t.nry - Co"cl uslons..
Vtt. The Ages or lhe Arllu1ld&lrt1 • . . . • . . • • • • • 169
\\')1al IAA'!l Ll ~kan l - 'M11• 1\t-'UI ••I U1r Ai-tlrci."1!.IYtt - The
Aulhttrity uf tt11! Arlltfli.llllr1t.
Appendix: Statistical Tables t88
BibliGgTaphy u6
••$
Index ..... .... .
x l'KUl'ACH
Tmu11n1uu1 in lhc hnrly of lhc honk! The b.uic proposition on
wbiclll the wlwle ttchnique depend" is n sbnplc one. It may appear
that a writer'~ style cha~ as ht grov."*' nklrr llNi more cx~ced.
Thi.c k ohm true where the n1.0tc obviou" ~tylistie fca.tuTes are
O'J1'Cd'UCd. Hut certain chnrnelerbli~ o( h~ style. not so easHy
<h·tet.ll.'ft, rt1n.,,_in con~t:i.nl throu.s;'houL hi• life. Among such char;ic
tc•rbtiO' :1.ro the: average length of hill MJntcnct..,, the Crequcncy \Vith
which 110 lLCWS !U1nplt· J)articlC>s aiul co11junclions such as 'and', nnd
tha frl'llU1111cy of thn occtuT<·nC<' of co1n1>011nrl words. We may hnvo
our 4Jouhbt alll1nt U1i~. hut thr f:\ct 1't1nnlnit that it hn'.> been checked
rnnny 1im~ on ... wide sc:t1e 'vi th the-work of known authors 'vritten
uv~or n lung period of rilnt!. nn<l it up~rs lCf be ~rtually infallible.·
II h.i..t bcM (ro$.H~ in nunw:rou.'l IAngn. ." l.gd.. both classical :ind
1ll0fltm, a.nd it 1't't'M$ '-:ilid ror Ill.I of thcan. "rhu.s this i~ not a matter
uf opinion b111 a bet "'hich can be ~tablishcd stati<tticaJly and
ht.t'ICC' tht-tt is litOc ba.."ii~ for qu~lil')ning Dr. Traultnann's ton•
C'1u'\ion..<i. unJC!'S his rn.ath~1natical fmnt("W'm'k can be shown to be
fnulty. which, ht ''i<"w of the fn.ct ~hl\J he bad expert advice and help
in tllil' r.-,.pcct, is V<..T)' an likely.I I le hn.~ rmvcd with Mmcthing
nt'Prnachln~ ccrttlinty that the / rthnl4•1fPt. i~ n compil::iti01t. con·
tniniil.J{ tl1<' work uf at l('-o'\l=lt tl1n•c. hnndit.'J
Thi~ dU!oovery rnay w~ll n1oot with rc~l.stnnce in certain quatte~.
Tho 1>M:it-ioo a..~ l'(~ar<l~ [J)dull:iti~l ~tucliU-1 at the present t.imc i$
r:.thcr idmilar to that of llJ!!!.!W;'l studi<.11 in thr l:Htc:r part of the Ja."t
~tUl')1• In ll1uk~ d.'ys many Bih1icnl ~hoh1.n1. wcrc already quite
cunvincrd that llic Book of Gen~' ,,.a._, a compilation of :i.t least
t·wo _,.~ and that tho C~M"J acoonling to St. Luke WU pro
dllCt'tl by bringi04: togethd' at lcout th~ earlier documents. AU
thu ,.,·kknoc •'tnt to pmYo th:it the books MCribcd to Moses were
not ac:.tu.ally written by hin1, but \\'ttt cornpitcd e.coturies later.
11li'( d"'tructivc "hi,1,tJ1tr criticisnt" Wl\S very !l.t·rongly resisted by
10Cht.>l.1r!ltif tlu•_ older seho0I. It h.u now triumphL-d and the proposi
tions th:lt the earlier honks of tho Old Tc:sttunent nro not in fnct
the wor·J.: 11f i\f1~-s. and thl\l tile Gosp..:li ntc not the diroct rcoordll
llf tlm di~iph$ wllu arc: SUJlJ)(')Mld 10 hnvc \Vl'ittc.n them, would now
hC' :\Ct'l'(lh'(I_ hy all scholars ~nd hy nc-nrly all educated Christinn~.
\\'n •n1J'I rooogn.isc once nnd for a.It that writers in the :i.ncient
clviliutions did no-t h:l.ve the .-me con<=cpt of authorsb.ip u we
h:t\'O toda)". Bte\use the unnamed Jewish priests who compiled
their anck-nt m:itcri.1.1 into the fi,-c Boob of 1hc Law believed that
they WttC deting the sort of dting wt1ich it~ n~-ht h."l.ve done 2.rKl
WC'l'C anyin1e on the tnditious uf }f~~. th~y a._cibni the aulhor
l'hip of the wotks to Moses hinl..vlf. Nmibrlv okltr material wb.kh
seemed to be in the Confucian tnu\iiion wa.~ g;1thcrccl tOGcther by
Chin~ editors and was ~rivt·n to the' \!rodcl IL"' the W'(lfk of Con
fucius. {vc nc«l not aCCtl~ the t11\know11 1x·rMn~c wh11, probahly
itt SIUlll.! tilne early in thr Chri!Hinn trn, O!lllJ>ilcd the Arlh11!tisl1a
1-~ wu hn.vc it, of delilx~ratc h·aud when lw asc:rib(..'d hi~ co1npil~tinn
tn lho traditionnl 1n:tstcr or lncllan l'lrtlC'crofl, Knutilyn. 14c: wns
n1C1'C'ly doing wha.t many writ<'OO in nil (l:\rt" of tlu.: •u1cient world
hru1 dona bcfure hi1n, nntl would <lo nfeC'l' him. Hl' wn.'\ not a fr:u1d
or a dccti\'t-'1', he 1ncrcly followtlCI tho alnlO!"l univcrS<l.lly acccptt.'<I
literary oonvcntions of I~ day a.nll ~
The ~pact~ opened by thii pionrt'rir\f: ir;tttdy att many. l\riorc
Or. Trautm.'lnn co1n.nlCl'lc:ed this ~tudy, a "ftt4'11 ..c art had btert made
on the •'f•klWra/4 by R. U. !'ndth ol Turonlo, who, worttng
whhout the h~lp of a contf>Uh'T, studiC'cl ~on1•· of lht interpola1ion..-,
in the t"t•ic hy this method. I\ d~·taill'<I r.lAti§tical anal)'5is tlf the
whoh• l'JiiC by co1nputer. thcuu;h it wouhl ho :t lcngthy and tcdiou"
proc'-~• und would involvt: very c1u\•(ul progro111n1ing, i~ hy 110
nu::u1~ hcytind the bounds or p001i>.ibility, nncl it 1night.yi1•ld v..:ry
derinitc rC?S11lts, making it JlOfl"liblc to extnu.:t n nuclear J\1ahdblufr"t~
from th<! mnss of inU'1'polntC'.fl n1att·rial. 1n h·~ting rcsull.s n\iJ:hl he
uchfovcd by analysing th1· hy1nn" of the/!~ Vtd'a by this method.
Tit~ PAU canon, or certain sptcific hook.'< of it, :a.bo suggest tlwm
~l"cs. Statistical analrsi$ by cuntput~.r hu 1nada it 1)()5Sihkl to
~t<tblilb with some <leg'ree. of :accuracy the various strands wltich
go to nuke up a compiled text, of V•ohich lhtre 3tC many in the
early literature: of India. Then- i_., no doubt that in httnrc n1uch
1norc \Vilt bc.'COlnc known ahout "'arly tndia. a.ml a Inuch clc3ror
chronol~'Y will cn1er~c. a.<S a n"uh of thi:t tl<hniquc:. which Or.
Trautnu1.nn ha~ u.i4• •'< I i11 the fi<'1d of lndology for the first timt:.
l t'J'o l\ his,torian tlh~ rc.-snlt!i mny nJlpcnr 1\l fi"'l dc-structlve. But
the edifice which SUCCCS..~h'C gcn<!l'l\lion~ o( lnflinn histuri;ut!> ha,•e
huilt n.'8tli on vt~ry shaky f1n1ndaOonj. ~fnll)' J)(:riods and a,_.;,1iccts
of the history and culture of cnrly lndin HCl!d rr-thinkiog in the
li'ht of archaeology and textual critlcJ5n1 of thL~ kind. Out of \\'OrkJ
1ueh as thbonethcrcmay~mergenewschool'(of eu-ly lndi3.lt history
and culture.. \\"'hich \\ill pre:M!'nt a. fa.r cho:attr and more crtdt'blc
picture tllan that which hll$ al=dy bocom< traditional For lll<le
PkUACK
reason!\ J cornnu~nd thu \\.'Ork of Dr. Tr11utnuu111 ro all th~<! who are
interc5ted in tbc c.ulhtrc of India. It may not be easy rc&ding on
every pt.ge. but it blazt:1 a trail for future lndologi.su: to follow. II
they are honest and si"'*" sd>olus they will follow that trail
wherever It leads them.
A, L. 8ASHA,,t
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
i>n>fCAO< A. L. Bosham has compounded my alttady a>ormoU>
debt to him by wTiting a Prcra.u both h.i.ghly flattering to me a.nd
cxccnively modest of his own p:i.rl in thi" book. Not only 'vas it
in11iplu<l by hJs re-1narks 01\ the authorjl\lp of the llrll1aJ4stra rnacle
nl tho University of \Visconsin in 1962, bul the scncsis of tbL~ book
owes as much to Professor Dashnm'i expert guidnnce and wann
encouragement while he was 1ny Ph. D. supervisor at t11c School
of Oriental a..nd African Studies in the University of London. E\'en
niter his departure for Australian Nallonal University he contint1ed
with characteristic generosity to aid my "'«L: by mailing his
cridci.J.ms of the drafts I sent him. The «'Cllon on the Cla5iicail taltS
of Ca.ndngupta and the Nanda in pank:ul.'r was tu.med on its
head M a result of bis Antipodean commentl. a.nd the opening
ch"pt<:.rs gwcrally derived a gttat dent from hl\ profound knowltdgc
of anclel\t Indian history while he wns still in London. Profcs&or
Buhnni'a friendly acccssibiUty And goodhcnttcdness. qtt.31itics nll
too rArc h- the acade1nic world, hll\'C been a boon to nu:: as his
1tudtnt and an inspimtion as a te~lchar. I publie.'1.lly a.cknowkclg1·
my debt to hi1n not in order to "hifl onto his shou1dL-'1'S (or thO!'(l of
the mll.ny others who have hclpcll 111(1) the responsibility for the
fault.I of this book. but u an cxpN!Sj;lon of Jny sin<:t:TC gratitude.
To th.. .. t cxocllcnt ~~1>her, Dr. J. c;, de Ca.']mi'>, l~cader in the
Early History o.f South and South«bt Ali.• at SOAS, who bocame
my supervisor artcr Prof~ B.utwn l'-'ft for Canberra, I O\t."e my
tl'ua.nks for his hclp in secin.g my t1\esis. °'II of wh~ this book Ms
gro\vn, to a conclusion.
i>n>lcuor Padmnnabh S. J•ini, !onnerly ol SOAS, now of th•
University of ~lichigan, h.:lS helped nle ovt:r several Pali p3.SS3get in
Chapter 2 with his profound t\1\d vivid knowlcd'"c of thnt langu38e.
Ii\ dealing with the Classical storie!l of C.'\ndragupta I have been
hclJ>cd by Professor David J. A. n ... of l3irckbc:ck College.
I cun greatly indebted to Dr. ifichael Levison, whose \VillingneM
to 1pcntl long hours constructing tho prugram for extracting data
from Sanskrit texts by computer, to advise and correct my own
othcrwiJ.e untutored efforts to progra.m. and generally to guide the
most laborious side of my work without rtWard and :at considerable
XIV
~pi..:n. ,.; oc of ti1ne hflJI nlways astonished and grnlHlod me. J wish also
to than.le Or. Lc.:\'i1'0n·•staH in the Dcpart:mtnl of Co1nputcr Science,
Birckbeck CollCllO. I« their.,.;,,.....,., especially the appropriatdy
narnrd i\£r. Alan Sentence, who prepared my }XUlched v~ns of
San}lkrit texts for 1nagnctic tapo. . I an1 grateful to tho Reverend
A.Q. Morton of °C''u,,l ro. ..~. . Fife, Wh0$C statistical methods J have
a<l.-.11ttd tu n1y purpost..~ for many hint& a.nd aids, and to
Prort-..-.or R. )(otton Smitll of the Unh·crsity o( Toronto, fw the
kind loan of san1c of bis stati~tic:tl studies.
r l111vc un-atJy benefittcd from the criticl:sn1~ and suggcsiion.s of
Pruf"'9SOr O. 1t Cox of the De1wutn1cnt 0£ ~f11thcrru:i.tics, Imperial
Colk1;t-. un my handling of statistical m.atttN; at various sta,ges of
th.-"-'llt:lrdL ~fore than th:it. the fact that t found the oow-o.g~
th(: temerity, it mzty he- to venture into ~tnti:stics is l:irgely due
to tl1CJ kindnrss with which Profcissor Cox li'oo.tcd my nmo.tcur
clfurt11, both 1ny rorty pilot study a.nd the work that hu issued
from h. I •'ant also tu thank his •tudcnt, Dr. Osborne Jacl.3on, for
his 11(•11> in the a.n.:tl~ of ~tcna> and a>mpoulld-lcngth data.
Rut (ut tile g\:11L'1'U\t~ 11frcr of Profc:ssor J. Ouncn.n ~t. Ocrrctt
<•f SOAS to lend llh.' n typc:sc.ript uf the Bh:tn1ci mant1script ht his
po~ ..'.S ion whidt he l.i 1._'(]iting frn' publication, 1 could nut have
writtm Cft:t11tcr 6.. Tu I terr Or. t>ic:h.T Schlinglofr, Privat·l>o&t'llt a.t
the Univtniit)• or c~nuiu.gcn. l an1 grutcrul for the Unt:.~pected and
timely 1.uriv1U of 1u1 uHprint \\'hicl1 sot me on the problem uf the
rclrttion~ of th~ Arlhal.r'ts/rtr, Ghit1•uci and tilcdh:itithl, though
ani~inc At oondu..:.ions :mta,.;onii;tic to his. in tl1c light of the un
pul.lli-JK.cl Uh:\ruci t1.·xt which, unfortunatcly, Dr. Schlingk>ff had
not st.,;•n.
I wiu1 very fortunate that ·or. john Pinscnt of the Dc1xi..rt.n\C1H
uf Cnic.k, Unh·cr,;,:ity of Liv<:rpool, ;irri\•cd in Ann Arlx>r ns Visiting
J>n,f~ of Rurn:u1 J li•lOJ')' as r was revising the last chapter. His
fib"«Olb aiticl..;;nt$ of M)' aucn1pt,. tu reformulate the argument for
the date uf Artk•ltblfa, Book 2, fru11\ the n:i.m~ for Ceylon, led Jnt:
tu k"I' tlll' t·vicl~·na: in I.\ l\cw ;u11l I believe more satisfnct•Jry light.
l tm\'U OOnefiued :t.• well frvm eonununic.-i.tion,_au tuu bric.f
•"itb ~"\-c..Tal sc.hob..n.. PruftSSUr C:..ut.run ~. l>wivcdi of K. K.
C,1)\"m1m1..·nt Cull~-c. Gya.npt\T, on thr.: b"lJOGr.\phical data in tbc
A1//111lll$fT.r n.nd it" rcl:.,tiuns to Mnnu; Pr. Bartnd A. van Nootci\ ·
uf thu Univc~ity of Cnlifurnia, Rcrkclcy, on tho"tatistica.1 nnl\lysis
of uwtc•r lu the i.llalulbhJ,.ala; n.ncl the exctll<'nl arlR.aJ4.strin, Herr