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News: Three significant texts of Indian civilisation, Kalhana’s Rajatarangini, the Mahabharata and Kautilya’s Arthashastra have been inscribed in UNESCO’s Memory of the World Regional Register for Asia and the Pacific during the 11th MOWCAP session held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
About the Memory of the World (MOW) Program
- Memory of the World (MOW) Program is a global initiative aimed at preserving, protecting, and enhancing access to documentary heritage, particularly those collections that are rare and at risk.
- Launch: It was launched by UNESCO in 1992.
- Memory of the World (MOW) Register: The Register was launched as a core project under the MOW Program aimed at creating a compendium of documents — manuscripts, oral traditions, audio-visual materials, and library and archive holdings — which are of world significance and outstanding universal value.
India and MOW Register
- With the inclusion of Mahabharata, Arthashastra and Rajatarangini, India now has 17 entries in the MOW Register.
- These include the Rig Veda (added in 2005) and the collective works of the Shaivite philosopher Abhinavagupta (added in 2023), the archives of the first summit meeting of the Non Aligned Movement in Belgrade in 1961 (added in 2023), the archives of the Dutch East India Company (added in 2003), Naṭyashastra (added in 2025) and Bhagavad Gita (added in 2025).
About ‘Mahabharata’
- ‘Mahabharata’ is one of the world’s longest epic narratives. It occupies a central position in South Asian literary, philosophical and religious traditions.
- It is traditionally attributed to Sage Vyasa.
- It has evolved from Jaya (8,800 verses), to Bharata (24,000 verses), and the larger Mahabharata.
- Beyond its account of the conflict between the Kauravas and Pandavas, the epic explores questions of duty, justice, morality, power, kinship and the responsibilities of individuals and rulers.
- Its philosophical dimensions, particularly the Bhagavad Gita, have influenced generations of thinkers and continue to shape discussions on ethics and human conduct across cultures.
About ‘Arthashastra’
- Arthasastra is an ancient Sanskrit treatise on statecraft, economic policy, governance and military strategy.
- It is traditionally attributed to Kautilya, also known as Chanakya, who served as chief adviser to Mauryan emperor Chandragupta Maurya.
- It dates back to the 4th century BCE. It was written on a complete 16th-century palm-leaf manuscript, in the Grantha script.
- It has been preserved at the Oriental Research Institute in Mysore.
- Its detailed examination of statecraft, taxation, law enforcement, intelligence networks and public administration offers valuable insights into political organisation and the functioning of ancient Indian states.
- The text remains an important reference for scholars studying the history of political and economic thought.
About ‘Rajatarangini’
- Rajatarangini is a rare chronicle which is widely regarded as one of the most important historical chronicles of medieval India.
- It was composed by the 12th-century Kashmiri historian Kalhana.
- It was written in Sanskrit between 1148 and 1149 CE, in the Sharada script on traditional Kashmiri birch bark.
- It documents the history and royal dynasties of Kashmir, along with political events and socio-cultural aspects of the region, within the literary framework of kavya (poetry).
- The text comprises 7,826 verses divided into eight books, known as tarangas.
