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?

Answer: B. Statements 2 and 3 are correct; Statement 1 is wrong. Statement 1 is WRONG. According to KAUTILYA'S ARTHASHASTRA (4th century BCE political treatise), a person could NOT BE made a slave as a result of judicial punishment. The Arthashastra explicitly states (Book 3, Chapter 13) that ARYAS (the freeborn) CANNOT BE ENSLAVED. This is one of the distinctive features of ancient Indian slavery compared to other ancient societies — judicial punishment did not include enslavement of free Aryas. Statement 2 is CORRECT. Per the Arthashastra, if a female slave (dasi) bore her master a son, she was to be EMANCIPATED (legally freed) along with her son. This recognised the mother's enhanced status through bearing the master's child. Statement 3 is CORRECT. The son born to a female slave fathered by her master was entitled to the LEGAL STATUS OF THE MASTER'S SON. He was treated as a free man with rights, distinguishing him from the children of slaves with other fathers. Source: NCERT Class 12 Themes in Indian History Part I / Kautilya's Arthashastra Book 3.