Kauṭilya’s Taxonomy of Pedagogy for Governance and Leadership
Kauṭilya’s Taxonomy of Pedagogy for Governance and Leadership
Dr. M. Jayaraman
Abstract
The Arthaśāstra of Kauṭilya (circa 4th Century BCE), the encyclopaedic work on economics, governance, administration,
diplomacy, military strategy and state policy, has been a fountainhead for many kinds of research in the past several
years. However, its pedagogical relevance has remained a less explored area. The current study examines the first
chapter of Arthaśāstra- Vinayādhikaraṇam to derive the ideas on governance and leadership in education by reflecting
on the foundational philosophy of Indianness (Bhāratīyatva) in it. Drawing on textual analysis of the text and its famous
commentaries, and comparing it with Bloom’s Taxonomy of Pedagogy, the research aims to propose a taxonomy for
governance and leadership. The results suggest that Kauṭilya’s taxonomy of pedagogy is based on the four pillars of
indriya-jayaḥ (for winning over one’s sense organs), manas (ari-ṣaṭ-varga-tyāgaḥ), buddhi (training one’s intellect by
following the eight-fold ways), and śarīra (performing prescribed duties such as association with the experts, etc.). In
Kauṭilya’s pedagogical framework, we find a complementary symbiosis of methodological plurality and hybridity for
knowledge acquisition. It emphasizes that the idea of education as a continuous process. By following Kauṭilya’s
pedagogical path, a rājarṣi (a sage-like king) will be prepared who will always be involved in the welfare of his people
and state.
Keywords: Education, Governance, Leadership, Pedagogy, Taxonomy