Chanakya Neeti: a misogynist thought?

Chanakya or Kautilya was the famous Indian economist, philosopher, author, advisor, and a teacher during the reign of Chandragupta Maurya.

Chanakya’s famous Arthasashtra (Economics) sets out the foundations of how to establish an organized empire in the Mauryan period. Chanakya Neeti was not restricted to the political and royal periphery. The great philosopher also laid out many best practices to address social as well as personal issues; however, today few of his theories may not be acceptable to the modern woman.

There are many instances in his Chanakya Neeti, he refers to numerous offensive thoughts or theories about women.  Let’s check out, what are those theories that were practiced at his time.

The 2nd Chapter of this book begins with the following words.

In Chapter 1 (Couplet no.17), Chanakya says

In Chapter 17 (Couplet no. 9), Chanakya writes

In Chapter 17 (Couplet no. 14), Chanakya mentions

The 1^st chapter of the Chanakya Neeti also mentions

In Chapter 8 (Couplet no. 8), Chanakya writes

In Chapter 14 (Couplet no.11), Chanakya writes

In Chapter 12 (Couplet no. 18), Chanakya says

The Chapter 6, couplet 3 of Chanakya Neeti says

In Chapter 14 (Couplet no. 10), Chanakya says

In Chapter 16 (Couplet no. 2), Chanakya says

It is really hard to understand why Chanakya being a learned scholar, a man of strategies, whose countless contributions had changed Indian history, had portrayed women in a bad light in his book.