Question

In Ancient India, _______ written around 310 B. C. provided a comprehensive and systematic information about crime investigation and punishment of offenders.

• A. Mahadandadhikari
• B. Arthashastra
• C. Faujdari Adalat
• D. Bhrigu-Samhita

Hint:

Kautilya's Arthashastra is often cited as the world's first comprehensive manual on intelligence, policing, and criminal law.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Concept: Ancient Indian jurisprudence was highly developed. Various treatises laid down rules for statecraft, law, and order, detailing how a king should govern and punish.

Step 1: Identifying the Text.
The Arthashastra (2), attributed to Chanakya (Kautilya), is an ancient Indian Sanskrit treatise on statecraft, economic policy, and military strategy. It contains detailed sections on "Kantaka-shodhana" (removal of thorns), which deals specifically with criminal law and investigation.

Step 2: Evaluating Other Terms.

• Mahadandadhikari was a designation for a high-ranking judicial official/judge, not a book.
• Faujdari Adalat refers to criminal courts established much later during the Mughal and British periods.
• Bhrigu-Samhita is primarily an astrological text.

Step 3: Conclusion.
The Arthashastra remains the most systematic ancient document regarding the detection of crime and the administration of justice from the 4th Century B.C.