According to Kautilya’s Arthashastra, which of the following are correct?

1. A person could be a slave as a result of a judicial punishment.
2. If a female slave bore her master a son, she was legally free.
3. If a son born to a female slave was fathered by her master, the son was entitled to the legal status of the master’s son.

Which of the statements given above are correct?

The correct answer is 1, 2 and 3.

According to Kautilya’s Arthashastra, an ancient Indian treatise on statecraft, economic policy, and military strategy, the laws governing slavery (called Dasa) were detailed and structured. Let us analyze each statement step-by-step to understand why they are all correct:

1. A person could be a slave as a result of a judicial punishment.
In the Arthashastra, Kautilya describes several ways a person could fall into slavery. These included being captured in war, selling oneself, being born to a slave mother, or being enslaved as a result of a judicial punishment/court decree to pay off debts or fines. Therefore, statement 1 is correct.

2. If a female slave bore her master a son, she was legally free.
Kautilya's laws on labor and slavery were relatively humane compared to contemporary ancient systems. The text explicitly states that if a female slave bore a child (a son) to her master, she, along with the child, automatically gained legal freedom. She was no longer bound to slavery. Therefore, statement 2 is correct.

3. If a son born to a female slave was fathered by her master, the son was entitled to the legal status of the master’s son.
Furthermore, the Arthashastra specifies that any child born of a union between a master and a female slave was recognized as the master's legitimate offspring. Consequently, the son was entitled to the legal status of the master's son, including inheritance rights. Therefore, statement 3 is also correct.

Since all three statements are historically accurate representation of Kautilya's Arthashastra, the correct option is indeed 1, 2 and 3.