The Arthashastra, a Sanskrit treatise on statecraft and political economy associated with Kautilya (Chanakya) and conventionally dated to around 300 BCE, devotes sections to the planning of fortified royal towns. It prescribes gridded street layouts, defensive walls and moats, the siting of the town in relation to water and terrain, and the functional zoning of quarters for different castes, crafts and state functions. It treats the city as an instrument of administration, revenue and defence. The text combines idealised prescription with detailed practical regulation.
It is the earliest surviving body of South Asian planning theory, setting out principles of fortification, zoning and water management for the planned town. Its template is associated with Mauryan urbanism, including the great capital Pataliputra.