UNESCO Recognizes Ancient Indian Texts in Asia-Pacific Register

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Key takeaways

UNESCO added Kalhana's Rajatarangini, the Mahabharata, and Kautilya's Arthashastra to the Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Register during its 11th MOWCAP session in Jakarta.
The Memory of the World Programme was founded in 1992 to preserve global documentary heritage through digitisation and a three-tier register system.
Written around 1148-1150 CE in 8 books, Rajatarangini serves as a foundational text for Indian historiography on Kashmir.
Rediscovered by R. Shamasastry in 1905, Kautilya's Arthashastra details state governance across 15 books using the Saptanga Theory.

Three ancient Indian texts recently entered UNESCO's Memory of the World Regional Register for Asia and the Pacific.
The 11th MOWCAP session in Jakarta, Indonesia selected Kalhana's Rajatarangini, the Mahabharata, and Kautilya's Arthashastra for this honour.

UNESCO created the Memory of the World (MoW) Programme in 1992 to protect rare documents, manuscripts, sound recordings, and archives globally.
The main objective is to preserve vital historical texts and provide free public access to prevent loss from conflict, decay, or neglect.

The programme uses a three-tier register system that evaluates items at national, regional, and international levels based on their cultural reach.
Expert committees apply strict evaluation criteria to judge each text's authenticity, historical value, rarity, and current preservation state.
It supports preservation and digitisation methods such as digital archiving and microfilming to keep fragile manuscripts safe for future generations.
This recognition strengthens international protection of cultural heritage and prevents the loss of historical knowledge systems.

The Kashmiri scholar Kalhana composed Rajatarangini (The River of Kings) in Sanskrit between 1148 CE and 1150 CE during the rule of King Jayasimha.
The text documents the political history, royal lines, and administrative developments of Kashmir across eight distinct chapters called Tarangas.
Kalhana established early historical standards by cross-checking earlier written records, royal inscriptions, land grants, and coins.
The book details feudal conflicts, tax systems, famines, temple management, and religious practices in medieval Kashmir.

Tradition credits Sage Vyasa with creating this epic, which grew from Jaya (8,800 verses) to Bharata (24,000 verses) and finally to the full Mahabharata.
The epic details the Kurukshetra war between the Pandavas and Kauravas while examining the four core life goals: Dharma, Artha, Kama, and Moksha.
It includes the 700-verse Bhagavad Gita inside the Bhishma Parva, which explains selfless action (Nishkama Karma), knowledge (Jnana), and devotion (Bhakti).
This masterwork inspired traditional theatre, dance forms, and regional literature across South and Southeast Asia, including Yakshagana, Kathakali, and Wayang.

Attributed to Kautilya (Chanakya or Vishnugupta), the advisor to Chandragupta Maurya, this text was rediscovered by R. Shamasastry in 1905 and published in 1909.
The treatise consists of 15 books focusing on public administration, taxation models, financial management, legal codes, and overall governance.
It outlines the Saptanga Theory, defining seven state components: Swami (king), Amatya (ministers), Janapada (land and people), Durga (fort), Kosa (treasury), Danda (army), and Mitra (allies).
It details classical foreign relations using the Mandala Theory, the sixfold policy (Shadgunya), and four diplomatic approaches (Sama, Dana, Bheda, and Danda).