Chanakya is the scholar who created modern-day concepts and principles of politics and administration. His greatest contribution is the scholarly book of economics – ‘The Arthshastra’.
Image source: Kautilya Arthashastra
The early life of Chanakya
There are no clear indications about the history of Chankakya, but it is believed that he lived around the time of King Chandragupt Maurya. Hence, his timeline is believed to be i. c. 350 – 275 BCE. There are different legends about his parents and birthplace in scriptures such as – Buddhist, Jain, Kashmiri, and Scholar Vishakhadatta. His original name is Vishnugupta, as one of the verses of Arthshashtra refers to him by that name. He is believed to be an alumnus of the glorious Taxashila University of ancient India.
Vishnugupt was an expert in astrology, medicine, alchemy, languages, politics, economics, and human psychology. He was the epitome of excellence.
Becoming a mentor of Chandragupt
Once Vishnugupt went to the court of the king of Magadh – King Dhananand, to seek some assistance. But the king insulted him and kicked him out of the court. This is when he took an oath to dethrone King Dhananand. He then tried to influence the son of King Dhananand – Pabbat. At the same time, he also took the mentorship of a common young child Chandragupt, who displayed all the qualities to become a king. He then taught him all the different subjects and technologies to bring him on par with King Dhananand.
Connection with King Alexander of Macedonia
At the time of the attack of King ‘Alexander the Great’, the Magadh empire became very weak. This is the time when Vishnugupt and Chandragupt formed alliances and established control in the border regions which were destabilized by King Alexander. Chandragupt also held meetings with Alexander.
When King Alexander and his army retreated after facing huge losses on the way to India, they both then decided to end the reign of King Dhananand. After a few failed attempts, Chandragupt finally succeeded and became king of Magadh. It became possible only with the extensive knowledge, wisdom, and prudence of Vishnugupt.
The creation of Arthshastra
Vishnugupt then went on to advise King Chandragupt in every aspect of the kingdom. At the same time, he started creating a compilation of all the knowledge and wisdom in the form of a book called Arthshashtra. He wrote it under the name of Kautilya, which is believed to be his pen name. He defined the Dharma (Duties) and Karma (Actions) required for a king. He imparted amazing knowledge about strategy, subterfuge, spying, bureaucracy, defense, attack, and legal frameworks.
Retirement of Chanakya
When King Chandragupt decided to embrace Jainism, he anointed his son Bindusar as the king. Then he went to a religious retreat for study and meditation. Kautilya then assisted Bindusar in managing the kingdom.
There is an interesting tale of rivalry between Kautilya and another advisor named Subandhu. He had numerous political encounters with Subandhu in the court of King Bindusar. Nothing much is authentically known about the later years of Kautilya. It is believed that he also retired and went to a forest retreat.
Today, the world knows him as Chanakya. And even today, the principles laid by Chanakya are relevant to humanity.
