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1. Town Planning as
depicted in Kautilya
Arthashatra
Dr. Virag Sontakke
Assistant Professor
A.I.H.C. & Archaeology
Banaras Hindu University

2. अर्थशास्त्र
• भारतीय साहित्य का प्राचीनतम ग्रंर्
• अर्थशास्त्र : नगर-वास्तु का हवकहसत रूप
• वास्तुशास्त्र हवषयक हिशा-हनिेश, जो कालांतर में भी प्रासंहगक
•गृि क्षेत्रामाराम: सेंतुबंधस्तटाकमाधारो वा वास्तु
• वास्तु: घर, खेत , बाग, बगीचे, सीमाबन्ध, तालाब, एवं बान्ध

3. Kautilya Arthashatra
• Written by Kautilya, also known as Chanakya and Vishnugupta.
• Period: around 300 B.C.E,
• Arthashastra literally means ‘Scripture of Wealth’.
• It covers a wide range of topics like statecraft, politics, military warfare,
law, accounting systems, taxation, fiscal policies, civil rules, internal and
foreign trade, etc.
• Subjects including medicine, geology, metallurgy, measures of length,
tables of weights and divisions of time etc.
• Often referred to as a guide to Political Sciences and Fundamentals of
Management, in ancient India.
• Town planning and security of King

4. Discovery of the manuscript
• Mysore Oriental Library (now called the Oriental Research Institute) is one of the
most famous libraries in India.
• This library had a librarian Rudrapatnam Shamashastry, he discovered the
manuscript in 1905.
• In 1909, Shastry says that it is genuine work of Kautilya, and published in a brief.
• The Washington University awarded a Doctorate to Shastry
• Royal Asiatic Society awarded its Fellowship to Shastry.
• The Government of India gave him the title ‘Mahamahopadhyaya’.
• The Maharaja of Mysore awarded him with the title “Arthashastra Visharada” in1926.
• Varanasi Sanskrit Mandali gave him title Vidyalankara and Panditaraja
• Shamashastry became, Director of Archaeological Researches in Mysore, where he
would continue to work until his retirement in 1929.
• Dr. Asutosh Mukherji, Vice Chancellor of the Calcutta University, invited
Shamashastry to Calcutta in 1919, to delivered ten lectures on the discovery and its
content.
• These lectures were subsequently published in Mysore under the title ‘Kautilya’s
Arthashastra’

5. Town Planning as
depicted in Kautilya
Arthashatra
1. State
2. Cities
3. Villages
4. forts
5. Fortifications

6. 1. Sthānīya is to be set up in the centre of 800 villages.
Also a capital city
It served as a capital and the main administrative town of a janapada and the
treasury of the kingdom.
2. Dronaṃukha in the centre of 400 villages.
It was located at the mouth of a river and served as a port city.
3. Khārvātika in the centre of 200 villages.
Karvatika was another administrative town
4. Saṅgrahaṇa in the midst of 10 villages.
Smallest administrative division
Administrative Divisions Based on the Size of
Population

7. Sthānīya
Dronaṃukha
Khārvātika
Saṅgrahaṇa
800 VILLAGES
400 VILLAGES
200 VILLAGES
10 VILLAGES

8. Villages
• Hierarchy of the administrative divisions.
• The smallest division was a village.
• An ideal villages consist hundred families of peasant.
• Ideal Area: Krosa (2 km)
• Village should protected by:
1. Timber stockade,
2. Nearby villages
3. Wild tribes or natural hazards.
• Kautilya encourages migration to the countryside in order to
prevent overcrowding into the cities.

9. Location of Country, City & Villages
• The country was divided into four provinces.
• Town as the headquarters of each province.
• The main city was fortified and located in the central part of the country
• The main city shall have perennial source of water.
• The villages located at countryside amidst pasture lands and agriculture lands.
• Water from rivers and lakes was impounded for agriculture with the help of
dams and embanked.
• Forests for economic benefits were grown adjoining to the countryside.
• The frontier regions were marked with elephant forests and jungles.
• The jungles were inhabited by the tribes who possessed the knowledge of
Regional Geography and its use in warfare.
• These tribes were given certain special rights and were not completely under
the control of the king.
• The frontiers were protected by the forts built especially on the trade routes to
other countries.

10. Other Settlements
• Other settlements are classified into different categories.
• Nagara was a settlement which was surrounded by a wall and a
moat
• Panya-Pattan: was a commercial town, where all commercial
activities and dealings were performed.
• Pattan: It was a large commercial port, situated on the bank of
a river or sea.
• Trading towns were frequented by traders from distant lands
coming on commercial missions.

11. Qualities of a good Country
• Possessed of capital cities both in the centre and the extremities of the
kingdom
• Repulsive to enemies;
• Powerful enough to put down neighbouring kings;
• Free from muddy, rocky, uneven and desert tracts,
• Away from tigers, wild beasts and large tracts of wilderness;
• Beautiful to look at, containing fertile lands, full of cattle
• Contain mines, timber and elephant forests and pasture grounds;
• Containing ample water not depending on rain
• Rich in various kinds of commercial articles;
• Capable of bearing the burden of a vast army and heavy taxation
• Inhabited by agriculturalists of good and active character
• Full of intelligent masters and servants and
• Loyal and good character

12. Plan of the Capital City
• Ideally the city was of
geometrical form
• Normally square, so as to
allow its layout to conform
to the cosmological
principles of urban
planning
• It was surrounded by a
series of moats, fed by a
perennial source of water
containing crocodile

13. City
• An earthen rampart
surmounted by brick-built
parapets and towers
• On each side it is
recommended that three
gates should be located.
• Three royal roads to run
east-west and three north-
south, dividing the interior
of the city into sixteen
wards.

14. King palace
• The king’s palace, situated
in two north-central wards
• Around it the houses of the
four castes
• North: Brahman
• South: Vaisya
• East: Kshatriya
• West: Sudra

15. Around the Palace
• North: Homes of Brahmans
• North: Residences of ministers
• North: Deity of the city, tanks,
monasteries, ironsmiths and
jewellers.
• South: Houses of merchants,
• South: warehouses and workshops,
• South: Restaurants, timberyards,
stables
• East: elephant stables,
• East: store houses,
• East: the royal kitchen, artisans,
troops and the treasury.
• West: Houses of the lower classes
• West: Textiles artisans
• West: Artisans skins, mats, weapons
and other goods

16. राजप्रासाि
• अन्त:पुर: राजप्रासाि को अत्यहधक मित्व
• राजा की सुरक्षा क
ें द्र में
• राजप्रासाि का स्वतंत्र प्रासाि िो हजसक
े मध्य आज का प्रासाि स्थर्त िो
• राजप्रासाि में आने-जाने क
े हलए स्वतंत्र मागथ िो
• गुप्त मागथ/सुरंगो की व्यवथर्ा िो अर्वा पोले खम्ों क
े भीतर चढ़ने उतरने की व्यवथर्ा िो
• यहि प्रासाि की रचना शत्रु जैन जाए तो उसमें पररवतथन िो
• राजप्रासाि में अहि शमन का प्रबंध िो
• राजप्रासाि क
े पीछे : रहनवास, प्रसूता, बीमार स्स्त्रयों क
े हलए अलग-अलग तीन आवास िो
इसी क
े पास, छोटे उद्यान एवं सरोवर िो जिााँ राजक
ु मार एवं राजक
ु माररयााँ क
े हलए थर्ान
बनाए जाए
• राजमिल क
े आगे सुंिर उपवन िो, उसक
े बाि, मंत्रसभा,हिर िरबार, राजक
ु मार,
समिताथ, सहिधाता आहि क
े कायाथलय िो

17. Inside the city
• Around the central crossroads of the city temples of various
gods were to be built
• Commemorative pillars erected to successive kings.
• Between the houses and the defensive rampart a road
encircles the city.
• Big roads (Maha-marg) to facilitate movements of troops,
chariots etc.
• Temples of guardian deities were to be located at each corner
of the built-up area.

18. Facilities provided in the city
• Life in the city around the palace “was governed by a law”
• Pollution of the streets, tanks, temples or places of pilgrimage
was punished by large fines.
• Vessels were kept filled with water at strategic points in the
city for use in emergencies
• Strangers could be accommodated in the city but their
presence had to be reported to the city officer
• Unauthorised squatting in the city was strictly forbidden
• Reference of Night curfew

19. Outside the city
•Clustered of villages for protection
•The roads leading to the city gates shall have
shrines and
•The roads leading to the city shall have rest
houses for pilgrims
•Burial grounds were located outside the city
•Troop encampments and
•Troop exercise grounds

20. नगर सुरक्षा
• नगर क
े चारों और एक-एक िंड (४ िार्) की िू री पर क्रमश:
१४, १२, १० िंड चौडी पररखा (खाई)
• खाई हजतनी चौडी उससे चौर्ाई अर्वा आधी गिरी
• तलिटी समतल एवं प्रस्तरों से हनहमथत
• खाईं की िीवारें ईंटों से मज़बूत
• जलहनकासी की व्यवथर्ा
• खाई में अहवरल पानी का संचार
• पानी में कमल एवं मगरमच्छ
• खाई से चार िंड िू री पर मज़बूत वप्र (Rampart) िोना चाहिए

21. वप्र (Rampart)
• तीन प्रकार क
े वप्र (Rampart)
1. ऊर्ध्थचय: ऊपर से पतला
2. मंचपृष्ठ: नीचे से पतला
3. क
ु म्भक
ु हक्षक: मध्य में क
ु म्भकार
• वप्र की हनव मज़बूत िो
• वप्र क
े ऊपर हिवार (प्राकार) िो
• प्राकार की ऊ
ाँ चाई: २४ िार् से अहधक ना िो
• प्राकार का ऊपरी भाग चौडा एवं समतल िो, हजस पर रर् चलाया जा सक
े ।
• प्राकार का हनमाथण पत्थरों से िो
• प्राकार हनमाथण में लकडी का उपयोग ना िो (आग का भय)
• प्राकार क
े आगे अट्टाहलका (बुजथ, Bastion) हजनका आकार प्राकार क
े बराबर
• िो अट्टाहलका क
े बीच “प्रतोली” नामक रचना िो।तर्ा प्रतोली एवं अट्टाहलका क
े मध्य “इंद्रकोश” नामक
हवहशष्ट थर्ान से धनुधाथरी बाण छोडें
• प्राकार में िेवपर् (गुप्तमागथ)
• प्राकार का मुख्य प्रवेशद्वार : ४ िार्ी एक सार् प्रवेश कर सक
ें
• प्राकार क
े बािर लौि क
ं टक क
े ढेर, लोिे क
े जाल, कीलें आहि की व्यवथर्ा िो

22. • During Second urbanizations new urban settlements emerges
• In 6th C. BCE fortified sites were found in India
• Mud, bricks, stone fortifications found in excavations
Mahajanpada Period

24. old city walls
6th century BCE of
Rajgir

25. Early
Historic
Period

26. City as a Administrative junction
•The city functioned primarily as an administrative
centre
•Royal palace at the center
•The court
•The priest
•Houses of ministers
•Officers buildings

27. House Structures
• Houses shall erected at a distance
• All permanent houses shall be provided with Dunghill
(Avaskara), water course (bhrama), and a well (udapanam).
• Roof of the house shall supported by iron-clamp (Setu)
• Water drain shall be drained through drain, generally 3 padas
away from neighboring house.
• Houses were multi storied
• Upper storey shall provided a small but high window
• Window shall mot disturbed the neighboring house.
• Punishments and fine for violations of laws

28. Type of Durg/Fort
• The Arthasastra deals with forts in detail.
• Six major types of forts
• Forts were differentiated by their mode of defence.
1. Jal Durg: This could be a water fortification (audaka),
2. Giri Durg: A mountainous fortification (parvata),
3. Vana Durg : A forest fortification (vrikshya-durga).
4. Dhanva Durg :Desert fort
5. Mahi Durg: Earthen fort
6. Nar Durg: Fort protected by soldiers (Human fort)

29. Specifications of Forts
औिक िुगथ/ Jal Durg
(Water fort)
• This type of fort is surrounded
by water bodies.
• Sea or rivers or artificial
moats, artificial lakes etc.

30. • Three sub-types
1. Prantara-durga:
Located on a flat hill summit.
2. Giri-parshva-durga:
The fortifications extend down to the
hill slope.
3. Guha-durga:
Located in a valley surrounded by
hills, where the outposts and the
signal towers are located.
Giri/ पवथत Durg (Hill Fort)

31. Vana Durg (Forest fort)
• This type of fort situated
amidst thick forest.
• Thick forest cover use as a
preliminary line of defence.
• Dense forest over a distance
of at least 4 kroshas
(14.6 km).
Sub-types
1. Khanjana-durga:
This fort was surrounded by
thorny forests.
2. Sthambha-durga:
This forest build wehere tall
trees; lacks sufficient water
located.

32. Dhanva/ धान्वन Durg or Desert Fort
• Also known as Maru-durga.
• This type of fort is
surrounded by a desert.
• It shall has arid stretch of
land which can stop the
movement of enemies.
• Surrounded by an arid area
of at least
5 yojanas (73 km).

33. Mahi Durg (Earthen fort)
• Also called as Mud Fort:
• This type of fort is protected by
earthen walls and ramparts.
• Walls constructed of bricks and
stones can also come under this
category.
• Sub-types
1. Mrid-durga:
• Surrounded by earthen walls
2. Parigha-durga:
Surrounded by earthen walls, as
well as stone or brick walls.
The walls are at least 5.4 m high
and their width is half of their
height.
3. Panka-durga:
Surrounded by fens or quicksand

34. Nar Durg: Fort protected by soldiers
• This type of fort primarily
relies on man-power, i.e., a
strong army to defend itself.
• Defended by a large number
of loyal and experienced
warriors.
• Usually a city fortress,
populated by a substantial
garrison.

35. Fort Security
• Shape of fort: circular (vrtam), rectangular (dirgham) or square
(catursram) in.
• The fort should be surrounded with an artificial canal.
• Around the fort three ditches should be constructed.
• Intermediate space of the ditches should be fourteen, twelve and ten
dandas.
• Ditch should be square at the bottom and one third as wide as at the
top.
• There should be defensive fortification against the enemy.

36. Pataliputra
• The Pataliputra was the capital city of the Mauryas.
• The excavation show planned on a magnificent scale.
• The shape of city was parallelogram, girded by a wooden wall pierced with loop holes
for discharge of arrows.
• It had a ditch for defensive and sewerage purposes, as mentioned in the Arthasastra.
• Megasthenes informs us:
a. The greatest city in India
b. length on each side of 80 stadia (14 Km), and width 15 stadia (2.5 Km)
c. A ditch encompassed it all round, 600 feet in breadth and 30 cubits in dept.
d. The wall was crowned with 570 towers and four and sixty gates.
e. There were smaller doors between the main gates
f. There were three brick lined moats (parikha) in quick succession.
g. The royal palace occupied a central position has a park and fish ponds.
h. Mahaparinibbana Sutta and Suttanipatta: “Pataligama” as the greatest city
i. Mahaparinibbana Sutta: Putabhedana which means a big commercial centre.

37. Plan of the 80-columns pillared hall
 A Mauryan palace was found in
Patna
 The site Kumhrar identified as
palace of Maurya dynasty
 Here eighty stone pillars was found
 The pillars are arranged in 8 rows of
10 pillars each.
 It is called as “Assembly hall of 80
pillars”.
 It is thought that the pillars
sustained a wooden roof
 No surrounding walls, making it an
open-air hall.
Mauryan Pillared Hall

38. Sisupalgarh
• Sisupalgarh was the fortified town, square in shape.
• The site, is protected by a fort wall, encircled by a moat fed by a perennial
stream.
• The defences consist of a massive mud rampart (vapra), overbuilt by a Prakara
(wall of earthern core) with brick facings.
• Two gateways symmetrically pierce the fort wall on each side, articulating 8
gates, each facing a spinal straight road in a regular grid pattern.
• Excavation of one of the gates, built of large stone blocks with brick
superstructure, revealed an elaborate plan with an ancillary passage, a guard
room and lateral stairs for ascent to the upper storey of the gate house and the
connected fort wall.
• A road passed through this gate, bearing track marks of vehicular traffic.
• The exposed plan of Sisupalgarh answers to the fortified square town plan of
Kautilya.
• The site has 2 roads east-west and 2 across forming a grid with 8 nodal points
for gates instead of 12.

39. Sishupalgarh
• Situated in Khurd district
of Odisha
• It was a capital of ancient
Kalinga
• It is one of the largest and
best preserved fortified site
• Occupation started here in
700-600 centuries BCE.

40. Pillared hall

41. PALLACE ?

42. उपसंिार
• नगर योजना क
े व्याविाररक पक्ष का अवलोकन
• वास्तु हनयोजन में पूवथ-परंपराओं का आधार
• नगर योजना में सुरक्षा को प्रार्हमकता
• प्राचीन भारत क
े नगर वास्तु क
े स्वरूप क
े उिािरण
• राजप्रासाि को अनन्यसाधारण मित्व
• लम्े समय तक ग्रंर् की उपयोहगता
• मानसार एवं समरांगणसूत्राधार में भी हववरण

43. Conclusion
• The Arthasastra provides a fairly good picture of the Mauryan urban
milieu and constitutes an important source for knowing the life and
conditions of the people living in towns and cities.
• However, references to rural life are not abundant in the Arthasastra
• The account of Megasthenes, about 300 B.C. also bears testimony to the
sophisticated urban culture of which he had first-hand experience during
his sojurn in Gangetic India.
• The town planning depicted in the Arthasastra was actually adhered to
by the town planners.
• The city described by Kautilya was by every standard a strictly
regimented one as specified by the excavation reports of the
contemporary Mauryan cities.