Kautilyan Economic Thought and Modern Inclusive Growth: A Political Perspective

Abstract

From a political standpoint, this study investigates the connection between Kautilyan economic theory and the modern idea of inclusive growth. In this research, I look at how Kautilya’s Arthashastra’s economic ideas offer an early theoretical foundation for comprehending social welfare, state-led development, and fair economic governance. Kautilya’s political economics exhibits a holistic worldview in which public welfare, administrative control, and economic prosperity are closely intertwined, while being developed in the setting of ancient Indian statecraft. Kautilya offers a model of governance that is highly compatible with contemporary discussions on equitable and sustainable development by highlighting the crucial role that the state plays in controlling markets, allocating resources, and guaranteeing the welfare of the populace. This essay contends that the Arthashastra’s tenets of equitable taxation, balanced economic regulation, agricultural assistance, and protection of disadvantaged populations foreshadow a number of fundamental concepts found in modern inclusive growth frameworks. This study demonstrates the ongoing significance of ancient Indian political thinking for contemporary policy discourse by a critical examination of Kautilya’s opinions on economic management, social justice, and welfare-oriented governance. I argue that Kautilya’s observations provide insightful intellectual material for reconsidering the connection between political power and economic growth in the twenty-first century. This study adds to a better understanding of how moral leadership and calculated governmental intervention might support equitable and sustainable economic growth by bridging the gap between ancient political economics and modern development theory.