Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra (Kautilya’s Arthashastra, KAŚ) offers remarkably robust and systematic guidelines for various facets of forest governnace, most of which are relevant for contemporary policy makers and administrators.

Pedagogy available through various curriculum in general and foresters' curriculum in particular in the formative years makes one believe that the forestry in India owes its existence solely to the British rulers and the German foresters.

The wonderful framework available in KAŚ is presented to the readers in simple and easy to understand language with Forest Governance in focus, which had hitherto remained confined to the wonderful treatise and research papers authored by great scholars.

Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra, a treatise on state-craft, presents a vivid and lively description of different categories of forests and the values associated with it. It has been just over a century, when it was rediscovered, printed and published in Sanskrit, English and Hindi by various scholars over the years. Several translations in English and Hindi are also available on the internet archive, including the first one by Dr. R. Shamasastry. There are specific chapters and sections dealing with forests, wildlife, production forests, forest produce, Director of Forest, foresters, forest guards. As one dives deeper one comes across detailed discussions on various divisions of land as per Land Use Classification, categories of forests viz.: Sacred groves for hermits, Urban biological parks for King's recreation, Sanctuaries for protection of wild animals, Elephant forests to provide habitats for elephants, Production forests for management of various kinds of forest produce ranging from trees, bamboos, climbers, fibres, leaves, herbal plants, poisons to Trophies (wildlife) and metals. Forest dwellers are assigned with the duties of protection of forests. Legal provisions existed for preventing damage to forests and wildlife with penal measures for various forest crimes extending to death penalty for killing an elephant.