Town and country planning in ancient India according to Kautilya's Arthasastra

Abstract

Although there are problems in dating the Arthasastra precisely, the period it refers to (c.300 B.C.—300 A.D.) is of considerable importance in the settlement history of Southern Asia. The work is usually regarded as a source for political and constitutional history but contains a great deal of significance to the historical geographer, and this paper highlights its contributions on urban planning, rural‐urban relationships, and the spatial organisation of early Indian city‐states. The question is raised of whether it remained simply a plan‐image or can be regarded as a guide to reality.