Art of Rule- 151 Shlokas on Good Governance and Statecraft

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Statecraft and diplomacy are the two sides of a coin. The ancient scriptures of India recount many instances of diplomacy. For example, in the Valmiki Ramayana, Lord Rama sent Lord Hanuman and Angada as envoys to Sri Lanka. Similarly, the Mahabharata talks of the Pandavas and Kauravas deploying envoys to prevent war. Lord Krishna is renowned as a skilled diplomat, and his conversation with the warrior Arjuna, known as the Gita, is a source of universal comfort. The first Indian legal code compiled by Maharishi Manu, Manusmriti, laid down the principles of statecraft around 1500 BCE. The charter of duties was assigned as, 'Let the king appoint an ambassador; the army is headed by a commander; control of subjects depends on the army; the government of the kingdom depends on the king; peace and war depend on the ambassador."

Arthshashtra, or 'The Science of Material Gain,' was written around 300 BCE and is another comprehensive and cohesive treatise on diplomatic manoeuvring. Besides this, the code of conduct propounded in the Atharva Veda, Yajur Veda, Vidur Niti, Hitopadesa, Panchatantra, Kalhand Rajatantra, Neelakanth Sabha Ranjan Shatak, Bhartrhari Neeti Shatakam, Yagyavalkya Smriti and Kakopanisha have found a place in this compilation to underline the sagacity and foresight of Indian laureates.