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Rules for Forest and Forest Produces Protection (Forestry Management) in Arthashastra

Plant Science aspects in Kautilya’s Arthashastra -4
Botany History in Maurya Period -5
BOTANY History of Indian Subcontinent –59

By: Bhishma Kukreti M.Sc. {(Botany), B.Sc. (Honours in Botany), Medical Tourism Historian)
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   The administrators and thinkers of Maurya Empire period were aware that by flora can transform the poor country into rich country by paying attention of plants and their uses.  The Kautilya’s Arthashastra offers various examples that inform us about measures of forest or forest produces protection in Maurya period or before Kautilya time and at time the Arthashastra was created.
  Kautilya made rules (punishment or fines) for those disturb the flora and fauna of forest.
  There are guidelines for collection system of plants and fauna in Arthashastra.
   There is fine of fifty four ‘panas’ if a person takes flowers and fruits rom flower gardens or fruit orchards (Arthashastra 2.22.11 see references)
There was fine for one and three quarter ‘panas’ for taking vegetables, fruits , bulbs or roots from vegetable garden ((Arthashastra 2.22.11)
  The penalty was six ‘panas’ for cutting shoots of trees those are bearing shade , flowers fruits; 12 panas for cutting small shoots ; 24 panas for destroying trunks;  in a city garden  (Arthashastra, 3.19.28). In case of cutting shrubs etc. the fine would be half of the above Arthashastra, 3.19.28-30). The fine was double in case a person disturb the trees of boundaries etc.
The fine or penalty system was clear that state was responsible for protection of the forests and responsible for exploitation of forest produces .



References
 The book Arthashastra is referred from R.P Kangle, The Kautilya Arthashastra, Motilal Banrasidas Publishers  , New Delhi, 2006, 
Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti, bckukreti@gmail.com , Mumbai India, 2020 
History of Botany in Indian subcontinent will be continued in next Chapter

Qualities, Responsibilities of Agriculture Officer and Farming  Assistants

Agriculture Science in Kautilya’s Arthashastra -1
Applied Botany in Arthashastra -11
Plant Science aspects in Kautilya’s Arthashastra -6
Botany History in Maurya Period -7
BOTANY History of Indian Subcontinent –61

By: Bhishma Kukreti M.Sc. {(Botany), B.Sc. (Honours in Botany), Medical Tourism Historian)-

     The 14 chapter of 2nd Book of Kautilya’s Arthashastra is titled Sitadhyakasha or The Superintendent of Agriculture (Crown Land) . Sita means Agriculture and Adhyaksha means head.  This chapter is about advices to State Agriculture Superintendent, therefore, automatically, the advises are meant for all farmers. 
    In Seetadhyaksha  chapter of 2nd Book  Adhykasha  Prachar ( 1) Kautilya writes about the qualities and responsibility of an  Agriculture Officer or Director of Farming (Crown Land) as follows  -
A - Responsibility, Qualities of Agriculture Officer
The Seetadhyaksha (Director or Chief Officer of Agriculture) should be knowledgeable of Agriculture, expert of Soil and Measurement of Soil and knowledgeable of Vrikshaveda or Plant Science. The Chief Officer should appoint male assistants those have knowledge of above and then collect the seeds as of   in proper time (Arthashastra, Seetadhyaksha Sholka 1 from Reference 1)
 In 2nd Sholka of Seetadhyaksha, Kautilya advices that the servants or criminals (in jail) should sow the seeds in time on many times ploughed farms. It is instructed in sholka 3 and 4th that those servants should not have relation with bulls, plough etc. after the work. In 3rd and 4th and 5th Shlokas of Seetadhyaksha book of AS, Kautilya explains the needs of carpenters,  ironsmith, coppersmith , labours for  digging farm, rope maker, and snake charmer .
  References
1-Kautyaliya Arthashastra (Hindi) Translated by Prof Udayveer Shastri) Publihser- Mehrachandra , Lakshmandas Adhyaksha , Lahore, August 1925 p 258, 259

Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti, bckukreti@gmail.com , Mumbai India, 2020 
History of Botany in Indian subcontinent will be continued in next Chapter

Different Crops and their benefits in Kautilya’ Arthashastra 

Agriculture Science in Kautilya’s Arthashastra -3
Applied Botany in Arthashastra -3
Plant Science aspects in Kautilya’s Arthashastra -8
Botany History in Maurya Period -9
BOTANY History of Indian Subcontinent –63
By: Bhishma Kukreti M.Sc. {(Botany), B.Sc. (Honours in Botany), Medical Tourism Historian)
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 Kautilya illustrates in Arthashastra about the time of sowing of different crops in relation to raining (1).
In 15-17 paragraphs of Seetadhyaksha chapter of 2nd book,   Kautilya advises that-
The sowing should be done as per raining (quantity). Rice, millets, sesame, beans etc. should be sown before rain (rainy season start , or  start of rainy season) ) . The sowing of black gram, green gram and black eye beans should be done when rain is started or land was too wet. Not surprising, , till date the natural swing system persist till date too .
  The 18 and 19th paragraph of Seetadhyaksha 2nd book illustrate that horse gram , Kusumbi, wheat, peas, mustard , flax seeds should be sown after rainy season ends (1) .
 The 20 , 21 paragraphs of Seetadhyaksha chapter of 2nd book discuss about ownership etc of farms and how to distribute the produces.
The 22 to 26 chapters of Seetadhyaksha Chapter of 2nd book discuss about water sources and water management essential for agriculture( 2)
The 26th  paragraph of Seetadhyaksha chapter of 2nd book of Arthashastra advices about what crops should be sown in particular  sub seasons as Hemant and greeshma (2)   
The 25th and 26th Paragraphs of Seetadhyaksha of and Book deal with water management and farming of particular grain s/pulses in irrigation facilitated land.
 In 27 to 29 paragraphs of Seetadhyaksha chapter of 2nd book, Kautilya discusses about beneficial crops in terms of labour verses production (2). Kautilya states that rice and wheat /(millets )  are best crops as they require less labour in sowing /farming but fetch more productions. Banana is satisfactory. Sugarcane farming is worst as it requires more labour and less production. Kautilya discusses insect infection, loss by rats etc. in paragraph 30 of Seetadhyaksha chapter of 2nd Book.(2)



References
1-Kautyaliya Arthashastra (Hindi) Translated by Prof Udayveer Shastri) Publihser- Mehrachandra , Lakshmandas Adhyaksha , Lahore, August 1925 p 262
2Kautyaliya Arthashastra (Hindi) Translated by Prof Udayveer Shastri) Publihser- Mehrachandra , Lakshmandas Adhyaksha , Lahore, August 1925 p 263
Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti, bckukreti@gmail.com , Mumbai India, 2020 
History of Botany in Indian subcontinent will be continued in next Chapter

Kautilya advising Different Treatments   before sowing seeds 

Agriculture Science in Kautilya’s Arthashastra -5
Applied Botany in Arthashastra -6
Plant Science aspects in Kautilya’s Arthashastra -10
Botany History in Maurya Period -11
BOTANY History of Indian Subcontinent –65
By: Bhishma Kukreti M.Sc. {(Botany), B.Sc. (Honours in Botany), Medical Tourism Historian)
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 Kautilya took pain in all fields of agriculture in Arthashastra.
   The paragraph 33 of chapter Seetadhyaksha of 2nd book of Arthashastra states that different seeds should be treated (sanskar) as follows (2) –
The paddy seeds should be kept in open under dew for 7 night and under sun for 7 days before sowing.
The green gram or black gram (  Moong and Urad ) should be kept for 3 to 5 days and night in open .
The propagating stems should be treated by ghee, honey, bore /pig fat and compost before undergrounding in the field.
The tubers also to be treated by compost, ghee or honey at eye or should be treated where they are cut.
The seeds from fruits should be treated by compost before sowing.
The seeds as of Mango and Jackfruit the seeds should be kept underground deep in pits and after some time, caw bone dust and compost to be supplied in the pits.


References
1-Kautyaliya Arthashastra (Hindi) Translated by Prof Udayveer Shastri) Publihser- Mehrachandra , Lakshmandas Adhyaksha , Lahore, August 1925 p 264
Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti, bckukreti@gmail.com , Mumbai India, 2020 
History of Botany in Indian subcontinent will be continued in next Chapter

  Brief about Ashoka the Great (273 B.C.- 236 BC)

Botany History in Maurya Period -13
BOTANY History of Indian Subcontinent –67 
By: Bhishma Kukreti M.Sc. {(Botany), B.Sc. (Honours in Botany), Medical Tourism Historian)
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  Ashoka had been the great Maurya King and unfortunately the last important King of Maurya Dynasty.  Bimbsar the great Mauryana King had 16 wives and 101 sons. Suman was eldest son and Ashoka was second son of Bimbsar (1).There was war for succession among Ashoka brothers and Ashoka won the war  by killing 90 brothers(1).
In the 13th year of his regime, Ashoka won the Kalinga war and he became Buddhist King.
 Ashoka brought 11 Dhamma law of Piety and publicized those laws through pillars and scriptures, pillars edicts.
  Ashoka died in 236 BC
   
1-Mahajan, V.D. Ancient India , S Chand And Company , Delhi , (1998, ) page 294, 314
Copyright@ Bhishma Kukreti, bckukreti@gmail.com , Mumbai India, 2020