Kautilya's Arthashastra: Managing Acts of God and Calamities in Ancient India

Chanakya in his Arthashastra have discussed about disasters caused due to Act of God. Such as fire, flood, famine, drought, rats-locust etc attack, danger of wild animals, snakes and aquatic dangers, evil spirits, disease and pandemics. In such conditions he suggest the actions which State should take. During flood he advises to provide boat, rope, food items and other necessities to the affected people. Similarly, during a famine, he directs the distribution of food grains from royal stocks and also advises temporary migration of people, as well as shifting the royal court.

He considers, a drought is worse than to much rain.

He prescribes punishment of 12 panas, in case-

○ failure to save someone carried away by floods, though having a canoe

○ catching or killing predatory animals; not restraining dogs from harassing them

○ not trying to save someone threatened by a wild animal

_ there's an award too, of the same amount for right course of action in such cases.

Relative seriousness of these calamities is translated in Kautilya The Arthashastra as

' Floods and famine, which affects agricultural production, the livelihood of people and state revenue are more serious than fire and disease, the efforts of which tend to be more local. The other adversities like rats, etc. have consequences even more limited.'