The important ancient Indian treatise on statecraft and economics known as Arthashastra is written by which scholar?

Introduction / Context:
This question originally listed titles as options instead of authors. According to the recovery first policy, we repair the item by clarifying that the important book Arthashastra is associated with a specific author, Kautilya or Chanakya. However, the original options are themselves titles. To keep the structure usable, we interpret the question as asking which among the listed works is Arthashastra by Kautilya, and we improve the explanation accordingly. Arthashastra is a major work on statecraft, administration and economics in ancient India.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• The focus is on the important book Arthashastra.
• The original options contained other titles such as Indica and Rajatarangini.
• Arthashastra is linked to Kautilya also known as Chanakya or Vishnugupta.
• We assume students are expected to identify Arthashastra among other historical and literary works.

Concept / Approach:
The concept is to distinguish Arthashastra from other classic texts which document different aspects of Indian history. Arthashastra deals with governance, taxation, espionage and economic policy. Indica is a description of India by the Greek writer Megasthenes. Rajatarangini is a historical chronicle of Kashmir by Kalhana. By understanding the core themes of each, learners can correctly match Arthashastra with ancient Indian political science and Kautilya thought.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Recall that Arthashastra is an ancient Indian treatise on statecraft traditionally attributed to Kautilya Chanakya. Step 2: Indica is a Greek account of India written by Megasthenes during his time at the Mauryan court, not a work of Indian political theory. Step 3: Rajatarangini is a Sanskrit chronicle of the kings of Kashmir composed by Kalhana many centuries later. Step 4: Arya Manju Sri Mula Kapa in the original list appears to refer to a Buddhist or religious text and is not related to political science. Step 5: Among the listed works, the one that clearly corresponds to the treatise on statecraft and economics is Arthashastra. Step 6: Therefore we identify Arthashastra as the correct choice aligned with Kautilya teaching.

Verification / Alternative check:
Standard history and polity textbooks describe Arthashastra as authored by Kautilya, the adviser to Chandragupta Maurya. The text covers topics such as law, diplomacy, war, taxation and administration. In contrast, Indica is consistently credited to Megasthenes, and Rajatarangini to Kalhana, with completely different subject matter. These established attributions confirm that Arthashastra is the only work in the list that matches the description of a detailed treatise on statecraft by an Indian scholar.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Indica: A Greek account of Indian society and geography by Megasthenes, not a systematic guide to governance written by an Indian minister.
Arya Manju Sri Mula Kapa: Represents a religious or philosophical text, not a manual of administration and economic policy.
Rajatarangini: A historical narrative of the kings of Kashmir, different in purpose and style from the prescriptive Arthashastra.

Common Pitfalls:
Learners sometimes confuse Arthashastra and Indica because both are connected with the Mauryan period. Another mistake is to think that any old sounding title must be Arthashastra. To avoid such errors, students should create a simple comparison chart: Arthashastra and Kautilya for political science, Indica and Megasthenes for Greek observations on India, and Rajatarangini and Kalhana for Kashmir history. This mental map makes such questions straightforward.

Final Answer:
Among the listed works, the important treatise on statecraft and economics is Arthashastra, traditionally linked to Kautilya.