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?

Option (d) is correct because Kautilya’s *Arthashastra* recognizes enslavement through judicial decree (*Dandapranita*) and explicitly mandates the manumission of a female slave and the legal legitimacy of her son if fathered by the master. Option (a) is the most tempting wrong choice as candidates often assume ancient legal codes did not grant inheritance rights or formal status to children born of slaves. The core concept tested is the nuanced legal and social regulations governing the institution of slavery (*Dasa*) in Mauryan administration.