“The happiness of the subjects is the happiness of the king; their welfare is his. His own pleasure is not his good, but the pleasure of his subjects is his good”

[A] Megasthene’s Indica

[B] Kautilya’s Arthashastra

[C] Niccolo Machiavelli’s The Prince

[D] Mamulanar’s Vamsatthapakasini

Answer: B

Notes:

Explanation: The ideas expressed by Kautilya in the Arthashastra are completely practical and unsentimental.

Kautilya openly writes about controversial topics such as assassinations, when to kill family members, how to manage secret agents, when it is useful to violate treaties, and when to spy on ministers.
However, he also writes about the moral duty of the king and stresses paternal despotism as he summarises the duty of a ruler, saying, “The happiness of the subjects is the happiness of the king; their welfare is his. His own pleasure is not his good, but the pleasure of his subjects is his good”.

Source: Tamil Nadu NCERT