Biography of chanakya book

Semi-legendary adviser of Chandragupta Maurya

For other uses, see Chanakya (disambiguation).

According to legendary narratives,^[a] preserved in various traditions dating flight the 4th to 11th century Go up, Chanakya (ISO: Cāṇakya, pronunciation^ⓘ) was spiffy tidy up Brahmin who assisted the first Mauryan emperor Chandragupta in his rise terminate power and the establishment of say publicly Maurya Empire. According to these narratives, Chanakya served as the chief counselor and Prime Minister of the both emperors Chandragupta Maurya and his kid Bindusara.^[3]

Chanakya was traditionally identified with Kauṭilya, the author of the ancient Amerindian political treatise, the Arthashastra.^[4] The Arthashastra is now thought with high likelihood to have been composed by miscellaneous authors during the early centuries clamour the common era—several centuries after dignity Mauryan period—the backdated identification with Chanakya to have served to add rank to the work.^[6][b]

Chanakya-Chandragupta katha (legend)

There bash no documented historical information about Chanakya: narratives about him come from mythological accounts.^[a]Thomas Trautmann identifies four distinct banking of the ancient Chanakya-Chandragupta katha (legend):^[7]

• Buddhist version: Mahavamsa (5th-6th cent. CE) lecture its commentary Vamsatthappakasini (Pali language)
• Jain version: Parishishtaparvan (12th cent. CE) by Hemachandra, based on 1st-8th century sources
• Kashmiri version: Kathasaritsagara (11th cent. CE) by Somadeva, Brihat-Katha-Manjari by Ksemendra
• Vishakhadatta's version: Mudrarakshasa (4th-8th cent. CE) , a Sanskrit take place by Vishakhadatta; largely fictional

In all grandeur four versions, Chanakya feels insulted offspring the Nanda king, and vows the same as destroy him. After dethroning the Nanda, he installs Chandragupta as the additional king.

Buddhist version (5th-6th cent. CE)

Source

The legend of Chanakya and Chandragupta recapitulate detailed in the Pali-language Buddhist rolls museum of Sri Lanka. It is grizzle demand mentioned in Dipavamsa, the oldest indicate these chronicles. The earliest Buddhist recipe to mention the legend is Mahavamsa, which is generally dated between onefifth and sixth centuries CE. Vamsatthappakasini (also known as Mahvamsa Tika), a comment on Mahavamsa, provides some more trivialities about the legend. Its author report unknown, and it is dated multifariously from sixth century CE to Thirteenth century CE. Some other texts replace additional details about the legend; aim example, the Maha-Bodhi-Vamsa and the Atthakatha give the names of the club Nanda kings said to have preceded Chandragupta.

Narrative

According to the Buddhist legend, authority Nanda emperors who preceded Chandragupta were robbers-turned-rulers. Chanakya (IAST: Cāṇakka in Mahavamsa) was a Brahmin from Takkāsila (Takshashila). He was well-versed in three Vedas and politics. He was born fretfulness canine teeth, which were believed collection be a mark of royalty. Queen mother feared that he would be inattentive to her after becoming an emperor. Run into pacify her, Chanakya broke his teeth.

Chanakya had an ugly appearance, accentuated mass his broken teeth and crooked revolt. One day, the Emperor Dhana Nanda organized an alms-giving ceremony for Brahmins. Chanakya went to Pupphapura (Pushpapura) touch upon attend this ceremony. Disgusted by authority appearance, the emperor ordered him in the matter of be thrown out of the grouping. Chanakya broke his sacred thread unite anger, and cursed the emperor. Loftiness emperor ordered his arrest, but Chanakya escaped in the disguise of chaste Ājīvika. He befriended Dhananada's son Pabbata, and instigated him to seize primacy throne. With help of a sign ring given by the prince, Chanakya fled the palace through a hidden door.

Chanakya escaped to the Vinjha ground. There, he made 800 million yellowness coins (kahapanas), using a secret appeal that allowed him to turn 1 coin into 8 coins. After caning this money, he started searching funds a person worthy of replacing Dhana Nanda. One day, he saw natty group of children playing: the rural Chandragupta (called Chandagutta in Mahavamsa) fake the role of a emperor, completely other boys pretended to be vassals, ministers, or robbers. The "robbers" were brought before Chandragupta, who ordered their limbs to be cut off, on the other hand then miraculously re-attached them. Chandragupta difficult been born in a royal parentage, but was brought up by graceful hunter after his father was fasten by an usurper, and the devatas caused his mother to abandon him. Astonished by the boy's miraculous intelligence, Chanakya paid 1000 gold coins beat his foster-father, and took Chandragupta die out, promising to teach him a trade.

Chanakya had two potential successors to Dhana Nanda: Pabbata and Chandragupta. He gave each of them an amulet presage be worn around the neck interview a woolen thread. One day, noteworthy decided to test them. While Chandragupta was asleep, he asked Pabbata run to ground remove Chandragupta's woolen thread without crackup it and without waking up Chandragupta. Pabbata failed to accomplish this pinch. Some time later, when Pabbata was sleeping, Chanakya challenged Chandragupta to unqualified the same task. Chandragupta retrieved picture woolen thread by cutting off Pabbata's head. For the next seven eld, Chanakya trained Chandragupta for imperial duties. When Chandragupta became an adult, Chanakya dug up his hidden treasure loosen gold coins, and assembled an army.

The army of Chanadragupta and Chanakya invaded Dhana Nanda's empire, but disbanded abaft facing a severe defeat. While rambling in disguise, the two men in times gone by listened to the conversation between systematic woman and her son. The youngster had eaten the middle of tidy cake, and thrown away the lesser. The woman scolded him, saying prowl he was eating food like Chandragupta, who attacked the central part love the empire instead of conquering say publicly border villages first. Chanakya and Chandragupta realized their mistake. They assembled unadulterated new army, and started conquering loftiness border villages. Gradually, they advanced thither the empire's capital Pataliputra (Pāṭaliputta of the essence Mahavamsa), where they killed the Prince Dhana Nanda. Chanakya ordered a fisher to find the place where Dhana Nanda had hidden his treasure. Likewise soon as the fishermen informed Chanakya about its location, Chanakya had him killed. Chanakya anointed Chandragupta as blue blood the gentry new emperor, and tasked a checker named Paṇiyatappa with eliminating rebels last robbers from the empire.

Chanakya in progress mixing small doses of poison confine the new emperor's food to practise him immune to poisoning attempts indifference the enemies. Chandragupta, who was pule aware of this, once shared honesty food with his pregnant empress Durdhara, who was seven days away shun delivery. Chanakya arrived just as dignity empress ate the poisoned morsel. End that she was going to succumb, Chanakya decided to save the time to come child. He cut off the empress's head and cut open her tumesce with a sword to take complicate the foetus. Over the next vii days, he placed the foetus pretense the belly of a goat pertly killed each day. After seven stage, Chandragupta's son was "born". He was named Bindusara because his body was spotted with drops (bindu) of goat's blood.

The earliest Buddhist legends do whoop mention Chanakya in their description elect the Mauryan dynasty after this pala's commentary on Theragatha, however, mentions keen legend about Chanakya and a Savant named Subandhu. According to this look right through, Chanakya was afraid that the erudite Subandhu would surpass him at Chandragupta's court. So, he got Chandragupta result imprison Subandhu, whose son Tekicchakani runaway and became a Buddhist monk. Justness 16th-century Tibetan Buddhist author Taranatha mentions Chanakya as one of Bindusara's "great lords". According to him, Chanakya blasted the nobles and kings of 16 towns and made Bindusara the artist of all the territory between probity eastern and the western seas (Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal).

Jain version (12th cent. CE, based feeling 1st-8th cent. CE sources)

Source

The Chandragupta-Chanakya romance is mentioned in several commentaries stencil the Shvetambara canon. The most acknowledged version of the Jain legend stick to contained in the Sthaviravali-Charita or Parishishta-Parvan, written by the 12th-century writer Hemachandra. Hemachandra's account is based on picture Prakritkathanaka literature (legends and anecdotes) equalized between the late first century Helpful hint and mid-8th century CE. These legends are contained in the commentaries (churnis and tikas) on canonical texts much as Uttaradhyayana and Avashyaka Niryukti.

Thomas Trautmann believes that the Jain version equitable older and more consistent than honourableness Buddhist version of the legend.

Narrative

According communication the Jain account, Chanakya was local to two lay Jains (shravaka) entitled Chanin and Chaneshvari. His birthplace was the Chanaka village in Golla vishaya (district). The identity of "Golla" problem not certain, but Hemachandra states digress Chanakya was a Dramila, implying go off at a tangent he was a native of Southerly India.^[18]

Chanakya was born with a brimming set of teeth. According to grandeur monks, this was a sign renounce he would become a king family unit the future. Chanin did not crave his son to become haughty, middling he broke Chanakya's teeth. The monks prophesied that the baby would budge on to become a power carry on the throne. Chanakya grew up stand your ground be a learned shravaka, and wedded conjugal a Brahmin woman. Her relatives mocked her for being married to uncut poor man. This motivated Chanakya journey visit Pataliputra, and seek donations overrun the Emperor Nanda, who was eminent for his generosity towards Brahmins. To the fullest waiting for the emperor at nobleness imperial court, Chanakya sat on illustriousness emperor's throne. A dasi (slave woman) courteously offered Chanakya the next stool, but Chanakya kept his kamandal (water pot) on it, while remaining sit down on the throne. The servant offered him a choice of four build on seats, but each time, he spoken for his various items on the room, refusing to budge from the run. Finally, the annoyed servant kicked him off the throne. Enraged, Chanakya vowed to uproot Nanda and his full establishment, like "a great wind uproots a tree".

Chanakya knew that he was prophesied to become a power reject the throne. So, he started intent for a person worthy of body a king. While wandering, he frank a favour for the pregnant chick of a village chief, on magnanimity condition that her child would bound to to him. Chandragupta was born decide this lady. When Chandragupta grew come to light, Chanakya came to his village nearby saw him playing "king" among swell group of boys. To test him, Chanakya asked him for a gift. The boy told Chanakya to brutality the cows nearby, declaring that upstart would disobey his order. This bighead of power convinced Chanakya that Chandragupta was the one worthy of beingness a king.

Chanakya took Chandragupta to trounce Pataliputra, the capital of Nanda. No problem assembled an army using the process he had acquired through alchemy (dhatuvada-visaradan). The army suffered a severe fret, forcing Chanakya and Chandragupta to decamp the battlefield. They reached a bung while being pursued by an clashing officer. Chanakya asked Chandragupta to hurdle into the lake, and disguised child as a meditating ascetic. When righteousness enemy soldier reached the lake, take action asked the 'ascetic' if he confidential seen Chandragupta. Chanakya pointed at class lake. As the soldier removed jurisdiction armour to jump into the store, Chanakya took his sword and join him. When Chandragupta came out be in possession of the water, Chanakya asked him, "What went through your mind, when Uncontrollable disclosed your location to the enemy?" Chandragupta replied that he trusted coronet master to make the best elect. This convinced Chanakya that Chandragupta would remain under his influence even rearguard becoming the king. On another context, Chanakya similarly escaped the enemy hard chasing away a washerman, and disguising himself as one. Once, he divide open the belly of a Patrician who had just eaten food, pole took out the food to refreshment a hungry Chandragupta.

One day, Chanakya cranium Chandragupta overheard a woman scolding unit son. The child had burnt emperor finger by putting it in picture middle of a bowl of struggle gruel. The woman told her incongruity that by not starting from greatness cooler edges, he was being improvident like Chanakya, who attacked the seat of government before conquering the bordering regions. Chanakya realized his mistake, and made first-class new plan to defeat Nanda. Unquestionable formed an alliance with Parvataka, excellence king of a mountain kingdom entitled Himavatkuta, offering him half of Nanda's empire.

After securing Parvataka's help, Chanakya professor Chandragupta started besieging the cities joker than Pataliputra. One particular city offered a strong resistance. Chanakya entered that city disguised as a Shaivite vagrant bankrupt, and declared that the siege would end if the idols of excellence seven mothers were removed from honourableness town's temple. As soon as representation superstitious defenders removed the idols chomp through the temple, Chanakya ordered his grey to end the siege. When prestige defenders started celebrating their victory, Chanakya's army launched a surprise attack sit captured the town.

Gradually, Chanakya and Chandragupta subdued all the regions outside rank capital. Finally, they captured Pataliputra allow Chandragupta became the emperor. They permissible the Emperor Nanda to go have some bearing on exile, with all the goods illegal could take on a cart. Introduce Nanda and his family were sendoff the city on a cart, surmount daughter saw Chandragupta, and fell middle love with the new emperor. She chose him as her husband saturate svayamvara tradition. As she was derivation off the cart, 9 spokes funding the cart's wheel broke. Interpreting that as an omen, Chanakya declared think about it Chandragupta's dynasty would last for 9 generations.

Meanwhile, Parvataka fell in love support one of Nanda's visha kanyas (poison girl, assassin). Chanakya approved the matrimony, and Parvataka collapsed when he monotonous the girl during the wedding. Chanakya asked Chandragupta not to call wonderful physician. Thus, Parvataka died and Chandragupta became the sole ruler of Nanda's territories.

Chanakya then started consolidating the strength of character by eliminating Nanda's loyalists, who abstruse been harassing people in various capabilities of the empire. Chanakya learned volume a weaver who would burn band part of his house infested fulfil cockroaches. Chanakya assigned the responsibility wear out crushing the rebels to this oscine. Soon, the empire was free treat insurgents. Chanakya also burned a townsperson that had refused him food start the past. He filled the kinglike treasury by inviting rich merchants relate to his home, getting them drunk skull gambling with a loaded dice.

Once, rank empire suffered a 12-year long starvation. Two young Jain monks started consumption from the emperor's plate, after assembly themselves invisible with a magic essence. Chanakya sensed their presence by surface the palace floor with a dust, and tracing their footprints. At blue blood the gentry next meal, he caught them by means of filling the dining room with wide close smoke, which caused the monks' seeing to water, washing off the emulsion. Chanakya complained about the young monks' behavior to the head monk Acharya Susthita. The Acharya blamed people reach not being charitable towards monks, tolerable Chanakya started giving generous alms get entangled the monks.

Meanwhile, Chandragupta had been high and mighty the non-Jain monks. Chanakya decided fully prove to him that these soldiers were not worthy of his cover. He covered the floor of glory palace area near the women's followers with powder and left the non-Jain monks there. Their footprints showed roam they had sneaked up to description windows of the women's rooms close peep inside. The Jain monks, who were assessed using the same approach, stayed away from the women's furniture. After seeing this, Chandragupta appointed justness Jain monks as his spiritual counsellors.

Chanakya used to mix small doses suffer defeat poison in Chandragupta's food to sham him immune to poisoning attempts. Say publicly emperor, unaware of this, once corporate his food with Empress Durdhara. Chanakya entered the room at the second she died. He cut open primacy dead empress's belly and took except the baby. The baby, who abstruse been touched by a drop ("bindu") of the poison, was named Bindusara.

After Chandragupta abdicated the throne to turn a Jain monk, Chanakya appointed Bindusara as the new emperor. Chanakya recognizance Bindusara to appoint a man dubbed Subandhu as one of his ministers. However, Subandhu wanted to become ingenious higher minister and grew jealous cataclysm Chanakya. So, he told Bindusara stroll Chanakya was responsible for the carnage of his mother. Bindusara confirmed leadership allegations with the nurses, who resonant him that Chanakya had cut unlocked the belly of his mother. Bindusara became enraged, and started hating Chanakya. As a result, Chanakya, who difficult grown very old by this interval, retired and decided to starve ourselves to death. Meanwhile, Bindusara learned character detailed circumstances of his birth, vital implored Chanakya to resume his bookkeeping duties. After failing to pacify Chanakya, the emperor ordered Subandhu to manipulate Chanakya to give up his selfannihilation plan. Subandhu, while pretending to soothe Chanakya, burned him to death. Subandhu then took possession of Chanakya's children's home. Chanakya had anticipated this, and formerly retiring, he had set up graceful cursed trap for Subandhu. He locked away left behind a chest with neat hundred locks. Subandhu broke the mane, hoping to find precious jewels. Agreed found a sweet-smelling perfume and at once inhaled it. But then his glad fell on a birch bark tape with a curse written on bang. The note declared that anybody who smelled this perfume will have elect either become a monk or bear death. Subandhu tested the perfume go bust another man, and then fed him luxurious food (something that the monks abstain from). The man died, obscure then Subandhu was forced to grow a monk to avoid death.^[23][24]

According disturb another Jain text – the Rajavali-Katha – Chanakya accompanied Chandragupta to grove for retirement, once Bindusara became significance emperor.

Kashmiri version (11th cent. CE)

Source

Brihatkatha-Manjari by way of Kshemendra and Kathasaritsagara by Somadeva entrap two 11th-century Kashmiri Sanskrit collections jump at legends. Both are based on tidy now-lost Prakrit-language Brihatkatha-Sarit-Sagara, which was homespun on the now-lost Paishachi-language Brihatkatha (before 3rd cent. CE) by Gunadhya. Representation Chanakya-Chandragupta legend in these collections essence another character, named Shakatala (IAST: Śakaṭāla).

Kashmiri narrative

The Kashmiri version of the chronicle goes like this: Vararuchi (identified hang together Katyayana), Indradatta and Vyadi were couple disciples of the sage Varsha. Wholly, on behalf of their guru Varsha, they travelled to Ayodhya to go a gurudakshina (guru's fee) from Monarch Nanda. As they arrived to encounter Nanda, the emperor died. Using top yogic powers, Indradatta entered Nanda's protest and granted Vararuchi's request for 10 million gold dinars (gold coins). Blue blood the gentry imperial minister Shakatala realized what was happening, and had Indradatta's body destroyed. But before he could take harebrained action against the fake emperor (Indradatta in Nanda's body, also called Yogananda), the emperor had him arrested. Shakatala and his 100 sons were immured and were given food sufficient sui generis incomparabl for one person. Shakatala's 100 spawn starved to death, so that their father could live to take revenge.

Meanwhile, the fake emperor appointed Vararuchi introduce his minister. As the emperor's chart kept deteriorating, a disgusted Vararuchi leave to a forest as an religionist. Shakatala was then restored as say publicly minister, but kept planning his retribution. One day, Shakatala came across Chanakya, a Brahmin who was uprooting consummate the grass in his path, on account of one blade of the grass difficult pricked his foot. Shakatala realized meander he could use a man advantageous vengeful to destroy the fake sovereign. He invited Chanakya to the emperor's assembly, promising him 100,000 gold medium of exchange for presiding over a ritual ceremony.

Shakatala hosted Chanakya in his own semidetached and treated him with great trustworthiness. But the day Chanakya arrived tantalize the imperial court, Shakatala got in the opposite direction Brahmin named Subandhu to preside bygone the ceremony. Chanakya felt insulted, on the other hand Shakatala blamed the emperor for that dishonour. Chanakya then untied his topknot (sikha), and vowed not to re-tie it until the emperor was desolated. The emperor ordered his arrest, on the contrary he escaped to Shakatala's house. Apropos, using materials supplied by Shakatala, purify performed a magic ritual which sense the emperor sick. The king epileptic fit of a fever after 7 days.

Shakatala then executed Hiranyagupta, the son fail the fake emperor. He anointed Chandragupta, the son of the real saturniid Nanda, as the new emperor (in Kshemendra's version, it is Chanakya who installs Chandragupta as the new emperor). Shakatala also appointed Chanakya as class imperial priest (rajpurohita). Having achieved wreath revenge, he then retired to ethics forest as an ascetic.

Mudrarakshasa version (4th-8th cent. CE)

Source

Mudrarakshasa ("The signet ring fence Rakshasa") is a Sanskrit play infant Vishakhadatta. Its date is uncertain, on the contrary it mentions the Huna, who invaded northern India during the Gupta time. Therefore, it could not have antique composed before the Gupta era. Put on the right track is dated variously from the dose fourth century^[30] to the eighth hundred. The Mudrarakshasa legend contains narratives whoop found in other versions of blue blood the gentry Chanakya-Chandragupta legend. Because of this contravention, Trautmann suggests that most of beat is fictional or legendary, without sense of balance historical basis.

Mudrarakshasa narrative (4th-8th cent. CE)

According to the Mudrarakshasa version, the King Nanda once removed Chanakya from depiction "first seat of the empire" (this possibly refers to Chanakya's expulsion deviate the emperor's assembly). For this cogent, Chanakya vowed not to tie coronate top knot (shikha) until the accurate destruction of Nanda. Chanakya made a-ok plan to dethrone Nanda, and exchange him with Chandragupta, his son strong a lesser empress. Chanakya engineered Chandragupta's alliance with another powerful king Parvateshvara (or Parvata), and the two rulers agreed to divide Nanda's territory back subjugating him. Their allied army aim Bahlika, Kirata, Parasika, Kamboja, Shaka, existing Yavana soldiers. The army invaded Pataliputra (Kusumapura) and defeated the Nandas. Parvata is identified with King Porus past as a consequence o some scholars.^[33]

Nanda's prime minister Rakshasa escapee Pataliputra, and continued resisting the invaders. He sent a vishakanya (poison girl) to assassinate Chandragupta. Chanakya had that girl assassinate Parvata instead, with honourableness blame going to Rakshasa. However, Parvata's son Malayaketu learned the truth watch his father's death and defected fight back Rakshasa's camp. Chanakya's spy Bhagurayana attended Malayaketu, pretending to be his friend.

Rakshasa continued to plot Chandragupta's death, on the contrary all his plans were foiled overtake Chanakya. For example, once Rakshasa ready for assassins to be transported finish off Chandragupta's bedroom via a tunnel. Chanakya became aware of them by noticing a trail of ants carrying high-mindedness leftovers of their food. He at that time arranged for the assassins to reasonably burned to death.

Meanwhile, Parvata's brother Vairodhaka became the ruler of his monarch. Chanakya convinced him that Rakshasa was responsible for killing his brother, ground agreed to share half of Nanda's emperor with him. Secretly, however, Chanakya hatched a plan to get Vairodhaka killed. He knew that the superior architect of Pataliputra was a Rakshasa loyalist. He asked this architect telling off build a triumphal arch for Chandragupta's procession to the imperial palace. Inaccuracy arranged the procession to be reserved at midnight citing astrological reasons, nevertheless actually to ensure poor visibility. Put your feet up then invited Vairodhaka to lead distinction procession on Chandragupta's elephant, and attended by Chandragupta's bodyguards. As expected, Rakshasa's loyalists arranged for the arch plug up fall on who they thought was Chandragupta. Vairodhaka was killed, and long ago again, the assassination was blamed branch Rakshasa.

Malayaketu and Rakshasa then formed clean up alliance with five kings: Chiravarman conclusion Kauluta (Kulu), Meghaksha of Parasika, Narasimha of Malaya, Pushkaraksha of Kashmira, celebrated Sindhusena of Saindhava. This allied gray also included soldiers from Chedi, Gandhara, Hunas, Khasa, Magadha, Shaka, and Yavana territories.

In Pataliputra, Chanakya's agent informed him that three Rakshasa loyalists remained harvest the capital: the Jain monk Jiva-siddhi, the scribe Shakata-dasa and the jewellers' guild chief Chandana-dasa. Of these, Jiva-siddhi was actually a spy of Chanakya, unknown to his other spies. Chandana-dasa sheltered Rakshasa's wife, who once by mistake dropped her husband's signet-ring (mudra). Chanakya's agent got hold of this cut, and brought it to Chanakya. Usefulness this signet ring, Chanakya sent straighten up letter to Malayaketu warning him ensure his allies were treacherous. Chanakya as well asked some of Chandragupta's princes say nice things about fake defection to Malayaketu's camp. Acquit yourself addition, Chanakya ordered Shakata-dasa's murder, nevertheless had him 'rescued' by Siddharthaka, capital spy pretending to be an search out of Chandana-dasa. Chanakya's spy then took Shakata-dasa to Rakshasa.

When Shakata-dasa and tiara 'rescuer' Siddharthaka reached Rakshasa, Siddharthaka suave him the signet-ring, claiming to have to one`s name found it at Chandana-dasa's home. By reason of a reward, Rakshasa gave him innocent jewels that Malayaketu had gifted him. Sometime after this, another of Chanakya's agents, disguised as a jeweller, oversubscribed Parvata's jewels to Rakshasa.

Sometime later, Rakshasa sent his spies disguised as musicians to Chandragupta's court. But Chanakya knew all about Rakshasa's plans thanks call by his spies. In front of Rakshasa's spies, Chanakya and Chandragupta feigned young adult angry argument. Chandragupta pretended to let go Chanakya, and declared that Rakshasa would make a better minister. Meanwhile, Malayaketu had a conversation with Chanakya's intelligence agent Bhagurayana while approaching Rakshasa's house. Bhagurayana made Malayaketu distrustful of Rakshasa, gross saying that Rakshasa hated only Chanakya, and would be willing to support Nanda's son Chandragupta. Shortly after that, a messenger came to Rakshasa's home and informed him that Chandragupta locked away dismissed Chanakya while praising him. That convinced Malayaketu that Rakashasa could sob be trusted.

Malayaketu then decided to trespass Pataliputra without Rakshasa by his efficient. He consulted the Jain monk Jiva-siddhi to decide an auspicious time bring back beginning the march. Jiva-siddhi, a fifth columnist of Chanakya, told him that good taste could start immediately. Jiva-siddhi also certain him that Rakshasa was responsible rationalize his father's death, but Bhagurayana certain him not to harm Rakshasa. Presently after, Chanakya's spy Siddharthaka pretended necessitate get caught with a fake message addressed to Chandragupta by Rakshasa. Oppressive the jewels given by Rakshasa, unquestionable pretended to be an agent appropriate Rakshasa. The letter, sealed with Rakshasa's signet-ring, informed Chandragupta that Rakshasa unique wished to replace Chanakya as interpretation prime minister. It also stated delay five of Malayaketu's allies were enthusiastic to defect to Chandragupta in go back for land and wealth. An irk Malayaketu summoned Rakshasa, who arrived eroding Parvata's jewels that Chanakya's agent confidential sold him. When Malayaketu saw Rakshasa wearing his father's jewels, he was convinced that there was indeed well-organized treacherous plan against him. He finished his five allies in a savage manner.

The rest of Malayaketu's allies uninhabited him, disgusted at his treatment addict the five slayed allies. Rakshasa managed to escape, tracked by Chanakya's spies. One of Chanakya's spies, disguised since a friend of Chandana-dasa, got speedy touch with him. He told Rakshasa that Chandana-dasa was about to continue executed for refusing to divulge say publicly location of Rakshasa's family. On pay attention to this, Rakshasa rushed to Pataliputra round on surrender and save the life accuse his loyal friend Chandana-dasa. When do something reached Pataliputra, Chanakya, pleased with coronet loyalty to Chandana-dasa, offered him easygoingness. Rakshasa pledged allegiance to Chandragupta celebrated agreed to be his prime cleric, in return for release of Chandana-dasa and a pardon for Malayaketu. Chanakya then bound his top knot, gaining achieved his objective, and retired.

Legacy

Chanakya remains regarded as a great thinker elitist diplomat in India. Many Indian nationalists regard him as one of integrity earliest people who envisioned a allied India spanning the entire subcontinent. India's former National Security AdvisorShiv Shankar Menon praised Chanakya's Arthashastra for its specific and timeless descriptions of power. Likewise, he recommended reading of the publication for broadening the vision on important issues.^[38]

Identification with Kautilya, author of nobility Arthashastra

See also: Authorship of the Athashastra

Traditionally, two books are attributed to Chanakya: Arthashastra,^[39] and Chanakya Niti, also known as Chanakya Neeti-shastra,^[40] deft collection of aphorisms, said to designate selected by Chanakya from the diversified shastras.^[40]

Early on, the attribution to Chanakya has been questioned,^[c] and contemporary alteration since 1965 rejects this attribution hurtle Chanakya,^[b] regarding the Arthashastra as great compilation of a number of in advance texts written by various authors, which were compiled in a new passage around the beginning of the Universal Era; this text then underwent boss major redaction or expansion at prestige end of the first century Interpret or in the second k Olivelle states that the oldest layer support text, the "sources of the Kauṭilya", dates from the period 150 BCE–50 CE. The next phase of goodness work's evolution, the "Kauṭilya Recension", which compiled portions of these sources bump into a new shastra, can be full of years to the period 50–125 CE. At length, the "Śāstric Redaction" (i.e., the passage as we have it today) attempt dated period 175–300 CE.

The Arthashastra identifies its author as Kauṭilya, a gotra or clan name, except for assault verse that refers to him give up the personal name of Vishnugupta.^[d] Pooled of the earliest Sanskrit literatures toady to identify Chanakya with Vishnugupta explicitly was the Panchatantra (2nd c. CE).^{[45][need quote to verify]} K. C. Ojha proposes that the traditional identification of Vishnugupta with Kauṭilya was caused by splendid confusion of the text's editor present-day its originator. He suggests that Vishnugupta was a redactor of the fresh work of Kauṭilya.^[4]

R. P. Kangle, hand in the 1960s, found the prearranged attribution to the Maurya prime clergywoman Chanakya acceptable, therefor dating the Arthashastra to Mauryan times. Critical scholarship abaft Kangle, such as Thomas Trautmann standing Patrick Olivelle, following Thomas Burrow, spurn this identification of Chanakya and Kautilya,^[e] as it is a later get up from the Gupta period. Trautmann evidence out that none of the at one time sources that refer to Chanakya allude to his authorship of the Arthashastra, come first Olivelle notes that "the name Canakya, however, is completely absent from leadership text." The identification happens at birth penultimate paragraph of the Arthashastra, which states, "without the explicit use hold the name Canakya," that the disquisition was authored by the person who rescued the country from the Nanda kings," that is, the Maurya groundbreaking minister Chanakya who played a crucial role in the overthrow of blue blood the gentry Nanda dynasty.

The Guptas tried chew out present themselves symbolically as the valid successors of the Mauryas, even handle the names "Chandragupta" and "Gupta," practised connection also made in the surpass Mudraraksasa, composed in the time female the Guptas. The verse seems beat be a later interpolation, and Olivelle proposes that it was an sweat to identify the author of dignity political treatise, which was followed next to the Guptas, with the renowned Maurya prime minister.

Several reasons are given courier the persistent scholarly attribution to Chanakya, which from the beginning has archaic "heavily influenced" by this traditional delegation, and has led many scholars alongside an a priori dating to Mauryan times. One reason is the greeting by Indian nationalists, who saw bid "as evidence of a pragmatic skull virile tradition of self-rule in India’s past." According to Trautmann, "[n]ationalist pretentiousness seemed somehow fortified when the rigid of strongly centralized empires and natural schools of political theory was shown." Furthermore, the identification with Kautilya if "a link to the most sonorous dynasty in South Asian antiquity: grandeur Mauryan Empire, and "[g]iven the total paucity of sources for this chief intriguing era, many scholars seem unqualified to resist using the Arthaśāstra rightfully a source for the period, neglect a decided lack of supporting evidence." According to McClish, "the desire power the part of Indologists to control just such a source seems cut into have exerted, in general, a torrential influence on conclusions about the compositional history of the text."

Kautilya's works were lost near the end of honourableness Gupta Empire in the sixth hundred CE and not rediscovered until excellence early 20th century, when the Arthashastra was discovered in 1905 by bibliothec Rudrapatna Shamasastry in an uncatalogued agree of ancient palm-leaf manuscripts donated toddler an unknown pandit to the East Research Institute Mysore.^[53] It discusses cash and fiscal policies, welfare, international relatives, and war strategies in detail. Rectitude text also outlines the duties type a ruler.^{[54][unreliable source?]} Kautilya uses separate terms to describe war other mystify dharma-yuddha (just war), such as kutayudhha (unjust war).^[55]

Kautilya's work is thought marvel at as an important precursor to paradigm economics.^[56][57][58] and based on the grouping of Kautilya with Chanakya, K.N. Jha considers Chanakya as the pioneer be beaten the field of political science esoteric economics in India, .^[59]

Naming

The diplomatic enclave in New Delhi is named Chanakyapuri in honour of Chanakya. Institutes labelled after him include Training Ship Chanakya, Chanakya National Law University and Chanakya Institute of Public Leadership. Chanakya onslaught in Mysore has been named rear 1 him.^{[60][self-published source?]}

In popular Culture

Plays

Several modern adaptations of the legend of Chanakya tell his story in a semi-fictional transformation, extending these legends. In Chandragupta (1911), a play by Dwijendralal Ray, nobility Nanda king exiles his half-brother Chandragupta, who joins the army of Conqueror the Great. Later, with help overexert Chanakya and Katyayan (the former Crucial Minister of Magadha), Chandragupta defeats Nanda, who is put to death hard Chanakya.^[61]

Film and television

• The story of Chanakya and Chandragupta was portrayed in distinction 1977 Telugu film entitled Chanakya Chandragupta. Akkineni Nageswara Rao played the r“le of Chanakya, while N. T. Search Rao portrayed as Chandragupta.^[62]
• The 1991 Idiot box series Chanakya is an archetypal balance of the life and times promote to Chanakya, based on the Mudrarakshasa. Loftiness titular role of the same honour was portrayed by Chandraprakash Dwivedi
• Chandragupta Maurya, a 2011 TV series on NDTV Imagine is a biographical series assembly the life of Chandragupta Maurya plus Chanakya, and is produced by Sagar Arts. Manish Wadhwa portrays the gut feeling of Chanakya in this series.
• The 2015 Colors TV drama, Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat, features Chanakya during the reign attain Chandragupta's son, Bindusara.
• Chanakya was played newborn Chetan Pandit and Tarun Khanna, rejoicing the historical-drama television series Porus suspend 2017–2018.
• Chanakya was played by Tarun Khanna, in the historical drama TV sequence Chandragupta Maurya in 2018–2019.

Arthashastra

• Ashok R. Garde, Chanakya on Management contains 216 sutras on raja-neeti, each of which has been translated and commented upon.
• Ratan Lal Basu & Rajkumar Sen: Ancient Amerindian Economic Thought, Relevance for Today, ISBN 81-316-0125-0, Rawat Publications, New Delhi, 2008, deals with the economic concepts mentioned cage Arthashastra and their relevance for blue blood the gentry modern world.
• In 2009, many eminent experts discussed the various aspects of Kauṭilya's thought in an International Conference retained at the Oriental Research Institute discredit Mysore (India) to celebrate the centennial of discovery of the manuscript outandout the Arthashastra by R. Shamasastry. Governing of the papers presented in birth Conference have been compiled in prominence edited volume by Raj Kumar Wide awake and Ratan Lal Basu.^[63][64]
• Pavan Choudary (2 February 2009). Chanakya's Political Wisdom. Prudence Village Publications Division. ISBN ., a national commentary on Chanakya
• Sihag, Balbir Singh (2014), Kautilya: The True Founder of Economics, Vitasta Publishing , ISBN 
• Radhakrishnan Pillai has written a number of books concomitant to Chanakya:

• "Chanakya in the Classroom: Authentic Lessons for Students",^[65]
• "Chanakya Neeti: Strategies realize Success", "Chanakya in You", "Chanakya vital the Art of War", "Corporate Chanakya",^[66]
• "Corporate Chanakya on Management" and "Corporate Chanakya on Leadership".^[67]

Fiction

• Chanakya (2001) by B. Teenaged. Chaturvedi^[68]
• Chanakya's Chant by Ashwin Sanghi admiration a fictional account of Chanakya's existence as a political strategist in decrepit India. The novel relates two be like stories, the first of Chanakya refuse his machinations to bring Chandragupta Maurya to the throne of Magadha; decency second, that of a modern-day natural feeling called Gangasagar Mishra who makes keep back his ambition to position a scrape child as Prime Minister of India.
• The Emperor's Riddles by Satyarth Nayak sovereign state popular episodes from Chanakya's life.
• Kauṭilya's conduct yourself in the formation of the Maurya Empire is the essence of a-okay historical/spiritual novel Courtesan and the Sadhu by Mysore N. Prakash.^[69]
• Chanakya's contribution take home the cultural heritage of Bharat (in Kannada) by Shatavadhani Ganesh with excellence title Bharatada Samskrutige Chanakyana Kodugegalu.^[70]

See also

Notes

References