According to Kautilya's Arthashastra, which of the following are correct?A person could be a slave a

Q: What is UPSC Prelims?

UPSC Prelims is a competitive examination conducted in India. This question is from the 2022 UPSC Prelims History paper.

Q: How can I prepare for UPSC Prelims History?

To prepare for UPSC Prelims History, practice previous year questions (PYQs), understand concepts thoroughly, and solve mock tests regularly. This 2022 question covers Mauryan Empire – Administration, Economy & Ashoka topic.

Q: What is the difficulty level of this question?

This UPSC Prelims 2022 History question has a hard difficulty level and is marked as an important question.

Q: Where can I find more UPSC Prelims previous year questions?

You can find more UPSC Prelims previous year questions on AspirantMitraa. Browse by subject, topic, year, and difficulty level to practice effectively.

Question

According to Kautilya's Arthashastra, which of the following are correct?A person could be a slave as a result of a judicial punishment.If a female slave bore her master a son, she was legally free.If a son born to a female slave was fathered by her master, the son was entitled to the legal status of the master's son.Which of the statements given above are correct?

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: D — 1, 2 and 3Step-by-step Solution:The Arthashastra by Kautilya (also attributed to Chanakya, minister of Chandragupta Maurya, c. 4th century BCE) is a comprehensive treatise on statecraft, economic policy, and military strategy. It contains detailed provisions regarding slavery as a recognised social institution.Statement 1 — Slavery as judicial punishment: This is correct. According to the Arthashastra, a man could become a slave through several means: by birth (from slave parents), by voluntarily selling himself, by being captured in war, or as a result of a judicial punishment — i.e., a court could sentence a person to slavery as a form of punishment for certain offences. ✓Statement 2 — Female slave who bore her master a son became legally free: This is correct. The Arthashastra explicitly states that if a female slave bore her master a son, she was legally freed from slavery. This was a specific legal provision that recognised the elevated status of a woman who had borne the master's child. ✓Statement 3 — Son born to female slave fathered by her master had legal status of master's son: This is correct. In conjunction with Statement 2, the Arthashastra states that the child born to a female slave from her master was entitled to the legal status of the master's son — i.e., the child was considered a legitimate son with inheritance rights comparable to other sons of the master. ✓Why other options are incorrect:Options A, B, and C: Incorrect because all three statements are correct as per the Arthashastra.Key Concept: Arthashastra on slavery: Categories of slaves: dasa (those born of slave parents), ahitaka (voluntary self-sale), dhruvakarma (debt slaves), dharmakarma (those kept for religious purposes), yuddha-parigrahita (captured in war), and danavikraya (those sold by relatives). Arthashastra's slavery provisions were more humane than contemporary ancient practices — slaves had legal protections, and their masters could not arbitrarily kill them. The text represents Mauryan-era legal thought on social institutions.

Master UPSC Prelims with Our Test Series

More Questions from Mauryan Empire – Administration, Economy & Ashoka

Frequently Asked Questions

Master UPSC Prelims with Our Test Series

More Questions from Mauryan Empire – Administration, Economy & Ashoka

Frequently Asked Questions