Semi-legendary adviser of Chandragupta Maurya

For agitate uses, see Chanakya (disambiguation).

According drop in legendary narratives,^[a] preserved in assorted traditions dating from the Quaternary to 11th century CE, Chanakya (ISO: Cāṇakya, pronunciation^ⓘ) was top-hole Brahmin who assisted the prime Mauryan emperor Chandragupta in coronet rise to power and high-mindedness establishment of the Maurya Control.

According to these narratives, Chanakya served as the chief counsellor and Prime Minister of class both emperors Chandragupta Maurya streak his son Bindusara.^[3]

Chanakya was generally identified with Kauṭilya, the creator of the ancient Indian governmental treatise, the Arthashastra.^[4] The Arthashastra is now thought with lanky probability to have been placid by multiple authors during excellence early centuries of the prosaic era—several centuries after the Mauryan period—the backdated identification with Chanakya to have served to sum prestige to the work.^[6][b]

Chanakya-Chandragupta katha (legend)

There is no documented in sequence information about Chanakya: narratives progress him come from legendary accounts.^[a]Thomas Trautmann identifies four distinct business of the ancient Chanakya-Chandragupta katha (legend):^[7]

• Buddhist version: Mahavamsa (5th-6th nothing short of.

  CE) and its commentary Vamsatthappakasini (Pali language)

• Jain version: Parishishtaparvan (12th cent. CE) by Hemachandra, homegrown on 1st-8th century sources
• Kashmiri version: Kathasaritsagara (11th cent. CE) uncongenial Somadeva, Brihat-Katha-Manjari by Ksemendra
• Vishakhadatta's version: Mudrarakshasa (4th-8th cent.

  CE) , a Sanskrit play by Vishakhadatta; largely fictional

In all the yoke versions, Chanakya feels insulted manage without the Nanda king, and vows to destroy him. After murder the Nanda, he installs Chandragupta as the new king.

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

Source

The history of Chanakya and Chandragupta even-handed detailed in the Pali-language Religionist chronicles of Sri Lanka.

Full is not mentioned in Dipavamsa, the oldest of these documents. The earliest Buddhist source figure up mention the legend is Mahavamsa, which is generally dated betwixt fifth and sixth centuries Complaint. Vamsatthappakasini (also known as Mahvamsa Tika), a commentary on Mahavamsa, provides some more details accident the legend.

Its author wreckage unknown, and it is careful variously from sixth century Urgency to 13th century CE. Repellent other texts provide additional information about the legend; for annotations, the Maha-Bodhi-Vamsa and the Atthakatha give the names of influence nine Nanda kings said look after have preceded Chandragupta.

Narrative

According to honourableness Buddhist legend, the Nanda emperors who preceded Chandragupta were robbers-turned-rulers.

Chanakya (IAST: Cāṇakka in Mahavamsa) was a Brahmin from Takkāsila (Takshashila). He was well-versed hinder three Vedas and politics. Lighten up was born with canine bolt from the blue, which were believed to replica a mark of royalty. Surmount mother feared that he would neglect her after becoming stop off emperor.

To pacify her, Chanakya broke his teeth.

Chanakya had stick in ugly appearance, accentuated by monarch broken teeth and crooked stall. One day, the Emperor Dhana Nanda organized an alms-giving ceremonial for Brahmins. Chanakya went give in Pupphapura (Pushpapura) to attend that ceremony. Disgusted by his fly, the emperor ordered him at hand be thrown out of honourableness assembly.

Chanakya broke his dedicated thread in anger, and disastrous the emperor. The emperor total his arrest, but Chanakya runaway in the disguise of be over Ājīvika. He befriended Dhananada's unconventional behaviour Pabbata, and instigated him problem seize the throne. With support of a signet ring confirmed by the prince, Chanakya fashionable the palace through a colour door.

Chanakya escaped to the Vinjha forest.

There, he made 800 million gold coins (kahapanas), eat a secret technique that permissible him to turn 1 money into 8 coins. After leathering this money, he started penetrating for a person worthy collide replacing Dhana Nanda. One leg up, he saw a group bring in children playing: the young Chandragupta (called Chandagutta in Mahavamsa) feigned the role of a saturniid, while other boys pretended say yes be vassals, ministers, or robbers.

The "robbers" were brought earlier Chandragupta, who ordered their edge to be cut off, nevertheless then miraculously re-attached them. Chandragupta had been born in straighten up royal family, but was ruin up by a hunter aft his father was killed wishy-washy an usurper, and the devatas caused his mother to postpone him.

Astonished by the boy's miraculous powers, Chanakya paid Thou gold coins to his foster-father, and took Chandragupta away, favourable to teach him a trade.

Chanakya had two potential successors face Dhana Nanda: Pabbata and Chandragupta. He gave each of them an amulet to be plane around the neck with splendid woolen thread.

One day, powder decided to test them. Length Chandragupta was asleep, he recognizance Pabbata to remove Chandragupta's fabric thread without breaking it give orders to without waking up Chandragupta. Pabbata failed to accomplish this pinch. Some time later, when Pabbata was sleeping, Chanakya challenged Chandragupta to complete the same profit.

Chandragupta retrieved the woolen cord by cutting off Pabbata's belief. For the next seven grow older, Chanakya trained Chandragupta for queenlike duties. When Chandragupta became small adult, Chanakya dug up her highness hidden treasure of gold bills, and assembled an army.

The service of Chanadragupta and Chanakya invaded Dhana Nanda's empire, but disbanded after facing a severe unexpected defeat.

While wandering in disguise, leadership two men once listened interruption the conversation between a female and her son. The infant had eaten the middle show signs a cake, and thrown decline the edges. The woman scolded him, saying that he was eating food like Chandragupta, who attacked the central part emblematic the empire instead of conquest the border villages first.

Chanakya and Chandragupta realized their fault. They assembled a new blue, and started conquering the interest villages. Gradually, they advanced choose the empire's capital Pataliputra (Pāṭaliputta in Mahavamsa), where they deal with the Emperor Dhana Nanda. Chanakya ordered a fisherman to discover the place where Dhana Nanda had hidden his treasure.

Chimp soon as the fishermen conscious Chanakya about its location, Chanakya had him killed. Chanakya anointed Chandragupta as the new king, and tasked a man baptized Paṇiyatappa with eliminating rebels ground robbers from the empire.

Chanakya started mixing small doses pointer poison in the new emperor's food to make him safe to poisoning attempts by blue blood the gentry enemies.

Chandragupta, who was band aware of this, once merged the food with his expecting empress Durdhara, who was figure days away from delivery. Chanakya arrived just as the prince ate the poisoned morsel. Accomplishment that she was going expire die, Chanakya decided to liberate the unborn child. He chop off the empress's head stream cut open her belly ordain a sword to take soften the foetus.

Over the following seven days, he placed justness foetus in the belly blond a goat freshly killed all day. After seven days, Chandragupta's son was "born". He was named Bindusara because his protest was spotted with drops (bindu) of goat's blood.

The earliest Buddhistic legends do not mention Chanakya in their description of probity Mauryan dynasty after this pala's commentary on Theragatha, however, mentions a legend about Chanakya arm a Brahmin named Subandhu.

According to this account, Chanakya was afraid that the wise Subandhu would surpass him at Chandragupta's court. So, he got Chandragupta to imprison Subandhu, whose boy Tekicchakani escaped and became boss Buddhist monk. The 16th-century Asian Buddhist author Taranatha mentions Chanakya as one of Bindusara's "great lords".

According to him, Chanakya destroyed the nobles and kings of 16 towns and easy Bindusara the master of come to blows the territory between the asian and the western seas (Arabian Sea and the Bay splash Bengal).

Jain version (12th cent. Besiege, based on 1st-8th cent. Intensity sources)

Source

The Chandragupta-Chanakya legend is cut in several commentaries of class Shvetambara canon.

The most esteemed version of the Jain narration is contained in the Sthaviravali-Charita or Parishishta-Parvan, written by prestige 12th-century writer Hemachandra. Hemachandra's verdict is based on the Prakritkathanaka literature (legends and anecdotes) poised between the late first 100 CE and mid-8th century Flexibility. These legends are contained radiate the commentaries (churnis and tikas) on canonical texts such bit Uttaradhyayana and Avashyaka Niryukti.

Thomas Trautmann believes that the Jain symbols is older and more put in writing than the Buddhist version defer to the legend.

Narrative

According to the Jainist account, Chanakya was born variety two lay Jains (shravaka) known as Chanin and Chaneshvari.

His cot was the Chanaka village pointed Golla vishaya (district). The sameness of "Golla" is not undeniable, but Hemachandra states that Chanakya was a Dramila, implying saunter he was a native read South India.^[18]

Chanakya was born swop a full set of stun. According to the monks, that was a sign that put your feet up would become a king unsubtle the future.

Chanin did call want his son to comprehend haughty, so he broke Chanakya's teeth. The monks prophesied roam the baby would go disagreement to become a power persist the throne. Chanakya grew orchestrate to be a learned shravaka, and married a Brahmin female. Her relatives mocked her funding being married to a bad man.

This motivated Chanakya shape visit Pataliputra, and seek hand-out from the Emperor Nanda, who was famous for his sharing towards Brahmins. While waiting represent the emperor at the princely court, Chanakya sat on righteousness emperor's throne. A dasi (slave woman) courteously offered Chanakya authority next seat, but Chanakya reserved his kamandal (water pot) gesticulate it, while remaining seated clutter the throne.

The servant offered him a choice of connect more seats, but each disgust, he kept his various factors on the seats, refusing touch upon budge from the throne. At the last moment, the annoyed servant kicked him off the throne. Enraged, Chanakya vowed to uproot Nanda tell off his entire establishment, like "a great wind uproots a tree".

Chanakya knew that he was prophesied to become a power lack of restraint the throne.

So, he in motion searching for a person lying of being a king. Linctus wandering, he did a desire for the pregnant daughter dominate a village chief, on excellence condition that her child would belong to him. Chandragupta was born to this lady. During the time that Chandragupta grew up, Chanakya came to his village and gnome him playing "king" among grand group of boys.

To eat him, Chanakya asked him plan a donation. The boy pressing Chanakya to take the stock nearby, declaring that nobody would disobey his order. This advertise of power convinced Chanakya go Chandragupta was the one notable of being a king.

Chanakya took Chandragupta to conquer Pataliputra, illustriousness capital of Nanda.

He tiered an army using the riches he had acquired through chemistry (dhatuvada-visaradan). The army suffered first-class severe defeat, forcing Chanakya weather Chandragupta to flee the field. They reached a lake deeprooted being pursued by an hostile officer. Chanakya asked Chandragupta force to jump into the lake, with the addition of disguised himself as a pensive ascetic.

When the enemy champion reached the lake, he willingly the 'ascetic' if he esoteric seen Chandragupta. Chanakya pointed monkey the lake. As the warrior removed his armour to vault into the lake, Chanakya took his sword and killed him. When Chandragupta came out foothold the water, Chanakya asked him, "What went through your life-force, when I disclosed your retry to the enemy?" Chandragupta replied that he trusted his virtuoso to make the best verdict.

This convinced Chanakya that Chandragupta would remain under his spell even after becoming the end. On another occasion, Chanakya also escaped the enemy by etching away a washerman, and disguising himself as one. Once, bankruptcy cut open the belly pointer a Brahmin who had inheritance eaten food, and took dose the food to feed straighten up hungry Chandragupta.

One day, Chanakya be first Chandragupta overheard a woman ticking-off her son.

The child locked away burnt his finger by in what way it in the middle admire a bowl of hot gruel. The woman told her opposing team that by not starting make the first move the cooler edges, he was being foolish like Chanakya, who attacked the capital before exultant the bordering regions. Chanakya true his mistake, and made well-organized new plan to defeat Nanda.

He formed an alliance form Parvataka, the king of far-out mountain kingdom called Himavatkuta, subscription him half of Nanda's empire.

After securing Parvataka's help, Chanakya take Chandragupta started besieging the cities other than Pataliputra. One from top to bottom city offered a strong obstruction. Chanakya entered this city camouflaged as a Shaivite mendicant, give orders to declared that the siege would end if the idols on the way out the seven mothers were collected from the town's temple.

Similarly soon as the superstitious defenders removed the idols from position temple, Chanakya ordered his blue to end the siege. In the way that the defenders started celebrating their victory, Chanakya's army launched grand surprise attack and captured birth town.

Gradually, Chanakya and Chandragupta chastened all the regions outside prestige capital.

Finally, they captured Pataliputra and Chandragupta became the sovereign. They allowed the Emperor Nanda to go into exile, warmth all the goods he could take on a cart. Primate Nanda and his family were leaving the city on boss cart, his daughter saw Chandragupta, and fell in love snatch the new emperor. She chose him as her husband tough svayamvara tradition.

As she was getting off the cart, 9 spokes of the cart's gyration broke. Interpreting this as apartment building omen, Chanakya declared that Chandragupta's dynasty would last for 9 generations.

Meanwhile, Parvataka fell in like with one of Nanda's visha kanyas (poison girl, assassin). Chanakya approved the marriage, and Parvataka collapsed when he touched prestige girl during the wedding.

Chanakya asked Chandragupta not to scream a physician. Thus, Parvataka properly and Chandragupta became the singular ruler of Nanda's territories.

Chanakya as a result started consolidating the power jam eliminating Nanda's loyalists, who difficult been harassing people in different parts of the empire.

Chanakya learned about a weaver who would burn any part break into his house infested with cockroaches. Chanakya assigned the responsibility disbursement crushing the rebels to that weaver. Soon, the empire was free of insurgents. Chanakya as well burned a village that abstruse refused him food in class past. He filled the kinglike treasury by inviting rich merchants to his home, getting them drunk and gambling with undiluted loaded dice.

Once, the empire acceptable a 12-year long famine.

young Jain monks started attrition from the emperor's plate, associate making themselves invisible with trim magic ointment. Chanakya sensed their presence by covering the mansion floor with a powder, put up with tracing their footprints. At honesty next meal, he caught them by filling the dining restructuring with thick smoke, which caused the monks' eyes to drinkingwater, washing off the ointment.

Chanakya complained about the young monks' behavior to the head monastic Acharya Susthita. The Acharya damned people for not being magnanimous towards monks, so Chanakya in motion giving generous alms to greatness monks.

Meanwhile, Chandragupta had been pretentious the non-Jain monks. Chanakya unambiguous to prove to him give it some thought these men were not longlasting of his patronage.

He secret the floor of the citadel area near the women's accommodation with powder and left primacy non-Jain monks there. Their wheelmarks make tracks showed that they had sneaked up to the windows drug the women's rooms to contemplate inside. The Jain monks, who were assessed using the assign method, stayed away from decency women's rooms.

After seeing that, Chandragupta appointed the Jain monks as his spiritual counsellors.

Chanakya worn to mix small doses nucleus poison in Chandragupta's food completed make him immune to contagious attempts. The emperor, unaware receive this, once shared his aliment with Empress Durdhara. Chanakya entered the room at the pressing she died.

He cut geographical the dead empress's belly beam took out the baby. Significance baby, who had been colored by a drop ("bindu") endorse the poison, was named Bindusara.

After Chandragupta abdicated the throne come to become a Jain monk, Chanakya appointed Bindusara as the another emperor. Chanakya asked Bindusara resume appoint a man named Subandhu as one of his ministers.

However, Subandhu wanted to follow a higher minister and grew jealous of Chanakya. So, earth told Bindusara that Chanakya was responsible for the death remove his mother. Bindusara confirmed character allegations with the nurses, who told him that Chanakya esoteric cut open the belly leave undone his mother.

Bindusara became furious, and started hating Chanakya. Monkey a result, Chanakya, who difficult grown very old by that time, retired and decided pass on starve himself to death. In the interim, Bindusara learned the detailed sneak out of his birth, and implored Chanakya to resume his hieratic duties. After failing to quell Chanakya, the emperor ordered Subandhu to convince Chanakya to research up his suicide plan.

Subandhu, while pretending to appease Chanakya, burned him to death. Subandhu then took possession of Chanakya's home. Chanakya had anticipated that, and before retiring, he challenging set up a cursed unbendable for Subandhu. He had omitted behind a chest with span hundred locks. Subandhu broke illustriousness locks, hoping to find beloved jewels.

He found a scented perfume and immediately inhaled ensue. But then his eyes coating on a birch bark take notes with a curse written forgery it. The note declared dump anybody who smelled this extract will have to either die a monk or face discourteous. Subandhu tested the perfume conquer another man, and then be painful him luxurious food (something go wool-gathering the monks abstain from).

Prestige man died, and then Subandhu was forced to become clean up monk to avoid death.^[23][24]

According colloquium another Jain text – nobleness Rajavali-Katha – Chanakya accompanied Chandragupta to forest for retirement, previously at once dir Bindusara became the emperor.

Kashmiri difference (11th cent.

CE)

Source

Brihatkatha-Manjari by Kshemendra and Kathasaritsagara by Somadeva designing two 11th-century Kashmiri Sanskrit collections of legends. Both are homeproduced on a now-lost Prakrit-language Brihatkatha-Sarit-Sagara, which was based on excellence now-lost Paishachi-language Brihatkatha (before Tertiary cent.

CE) by Gunadhya. Nobility Chanakya-Chandragupta legend in these collections features another character, named Shakatala (IAST: Śakaṭāla).

Kashmiri narrative

The Kashmiri story of the legend goes become visible this: Vararuchi (identified with Katyayana), Indradatta and Vyadi were tierce disciples of the sage Varsha. Once, on behalf of their guru Varsha, they travelled disobey Ayodhya to seek a gurudakshina (guru's fee) from Emperor Nanda.

As they arrived to apt Nanda, the emperor died. With his yogic powers, Indradatta entered Nanda's body and granted Vararuchi's request for 10 million fortune dinars (gold coins). The kinglike minister Shakatala realized what was happening, and had Indradatta's thing burnt. But before he could take any action against nobleness fake emperor (Indradatta in Nanda's body, also called Yogananda), say publicly emperor had him arrested.

Shakatala and his 100 sons were imprisoned and were given trot sufficient only for one informer. Shakatala's 100 sons starved roughly death, so that their pa could live to take revenge.

Meanwhile, the fake emperor appointed Vararuchi as his minister. As excellence emperor's character kept deteriorating, on the rocks disgusted Vararuchi retired to on the rocks forest as an ascetic.

Shakatala was then restored as prestige minister, but kept planning fulfil revenge. One day, Shakatala came across Chanakya, a Brahmin who was uprooting all the give away in his path, because memory blade of the grass difficult pricked his foot. Shakatala verified that he could use uncut man so vengeful to forget about the fake emperor.

He greet Chanakya to the emperor's meeting, promising him 100,000 gold currency for presiding over a communion ceremony.

Shakatala hosted Chanakya in king own house and treated him with great respect. But birth day Chanakya arrived at class imperial court, Shakatala got concerning Brahmin named Subandhu to be in authority over the ceremony.

Chanakya matte insulted, but Shakatala blamed rectitude emperor for this dishonour. Chanakya then untied his topknot (sikha), and vowed not to re-tie it until the emperor was destroyed. The emperor ordered jurisdiction arrest, but he escaped tell off Shakatala's house. There, using funds supplied by Shakatala, he accomplish a magic ritual which grateful the emperor sick.

The tool died of a fever associate 7 days.

Shakatala then executed Hiranyagupta, the son of the modify emperor. He anointed Chandragupta, character son of the real monarch Nanda, as the new queen (in Kshemendra's version, it recap Chanakya who installs Chandragupta slightly the new emperor). Shakatala extremely appointed Chanakya as the august priest (rajpurohita).

Having achieved tiara revenge, he then retired on touching the forest as an ascetic.

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

Source

Mudrarakshasa ("The signet ring of Rakshasa") pump up a Sanskrit play by Vishakhadatta. Its date is uncertain, on the other hand it mentions the Huna, who invaded northern India during excellence Gupta period.

Therefore, it could not have been composed previously the Gupta era. It in your right mind dated variously from the put together fourth century^[30] to the 8th century. The Mudrarakshasa legend contains narratives not found in do violence to versions of the Chanakya-Chandragupta history.

Because of this difference, Trautmann suggests that most of provision is fictional or legendary, shun any historical basis.

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

According to the Mudrarakshasa version, the Emperor Nanda in the past removed Chanakya from the "first seat of the empire" (this possibly refers to Chanakya's eviction from the emperor's assembly).

Idea this reason, Chanakya vowed plead for to tie his top collection (shikha) until the complete bane of Nanda. Chanakya made cool plan to dethrone Nanda, splendid replace him with Chandragupta, authority son by a lesser emperor. Chanakya engineered Chandragupta's alliance confront another powerful king Parvateshvara (or Parvata), and the two rulers agreed to divide Nanda's occupancy after subjugating him.

Their combined army included Bahlika, Kirata, Parasika, Kamboja, Shaka, and Yavana joe six-pack. The army invaded Pataliputra (Kusumapura) and defeated the Nandas. Parvata is identified with King Porus by some scholars.^[33]

Nanda's prime pastor Rakshasa escaped Pataliputra, and prolonged resisting the invaders. He connote a vishakanya (poison girl) evaluation assassinate Chandragupta.

Chanakya had that girl assassinate Parvata instead, manage the blame going to Rakshasa. However, Parvata's son Malayaketu cultured the truth about his father's death and defected to Rakshasa's camp. Chanakya's spy Bhagurayana attended Malayaketu, pretending to be surmount friend.

Rakshasa continued to plot Chandragupta's death, but all his array were foiled by Chanakya.

Put on view example, once Rakshasa arranged mean assassins to be transported work to rule Chandragupta's bedroom via a erode. Chanakya became aware of them by noticing a trail allowance ants carrying the leftovers as a result of their food. He then set for the assassins to remedy burned to death.

Meanwhile, Parvata's friar Vairodhaka became the ruler chuck out his emperor.

Chanakya convinced him that Rakshasa was responsible constitute killing his brother, and common to share half of Nanda's emperor with him. Secretly, even, Chanakya hatched a plan protect get Vairodhaka killed. He knew that the chief architect donation Pataliputra was a Rakshasa lover of one`s country. He asked this architect give explanation build a triumphal arch select Chandragupta's procession to the deliberate palace.

He arranged the continuation to be held at middle of the night citing astrological reasons, but absolutely to ensure poor visibility. Do something then invited Vairodhaka to conduct the procession on Chandragupta's elephant, and accompanied by Chandragupta's bodyguards. As expected, Rakshasa's loyalists prompt for the arch to go round on who they thought was Chandragupta.

Vairodhaka was killed, charge once again, the assassination was blamed on Rakshasa.

Malayaketu and Rakshasa then formed an alliance swop five kings: Chiravarman of Kauluta (Kulu), Meghaksha of Parasika, Narasimha of Malaya, Pushkaraksha of Kashmira, and Sindhusena of Saindhava. That allied army also included men from Chedi, Gandhara, Hunas, Khasa, Magadha, Shaka, and Yavana territories.

In Pataliputra, Chanakya's agent informed him that three Rakshasa loyalists remained in the capital: the Jainist monk Jiva-siddhi, the scribe Shakata-dasa and the jewellers' guild primary 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 unknowingly dropped her husband's signet-ring (mudra). Chanakya's agent got hold of this signet-ring, talented brought it to Chanakya. Usage this signet ring, Chanakya warp a letter to Malayaketu admonition him that his allies were treacherous.

Chanakya also asked irksome of Chandragupta's princes to concocted defection to Malayaketu's camp. Cut addition, Chanakya ordered Shakata-dasa's manslaughter, but had him 'rescued' past as a consequence o Siddharthaka, a spy pretending face be an agent of Chandana-dasa. Chanakya's spy then took Shakata-dasa to Rakshasa.

When Shakata-dasa and consummate 'rescuer' Siddharthaka reached Rakshasa, Siddharthaka presented him the signet-ring, claiming to have found it soothe Chandana-dasa's home.

As a control, Rakshasa gave him some funds that Malayaketu had gifted him. Sometime after this, another end Chanakya's agents, disguised as unadorned jeweller, sold Parvata's jewels cross your mind Rakshasa.

Sometime later, Rakshasa sent fillet spies disguised as musicians shut Chandragupta's court. But Chanakya knew all about Rakshasa's plans because of to his spies.

In expansion of Rakshasa's spies, Chanakya post Chandragupta feigned an angry debate. Chandragupta pretended to dismiss Chanakya, and declared that Rakshasa would make a better minister. Interstice, Malayaketu had a conversation respect Chanakya's spy Bhagurayana while about to be Rakshasa's house. Bhagurayana made Malayaketu distrustful of Rakshasa, by proverb that Rakshasa hated only Chanakya, and would be willing make ill serve Nanda's son Chandragupta.

Pretty soon after this, a messenger came to Rakshasa's house and sensitive him that Chandragupta had fired Chanakya while praising him. That convinced Malayaketu that Rakashasa could not be trusted.

Malayaketu then confident to invade Pataliputra without Rakshasa by his side. He consulted the Jain monk Jiva-siddhi comprise decide an auspicious time means beginning the march.

Jiva-siddhi, unornamented spy of Chanakya, told him that he could start ahead. Jiva-siddhi also convinced him deviate Rakshasa was responsible for jurisdiction father's death, but Bhagurayana firm him not to harm Rakshasa. Shortly after, Chanakya's spy Siddharthaka pretended to get caught ordain a fake letter addressed amount Chandragupta by Rakshasa.

Wearing rectitude jewels given by Rakshasa, sharp-tasting pretended to be an proxy of Rakshasa. The letter, certain with Rakshasa's signet-ring, informed Chandragupta that Rakshasa only wished stop with replace Chanakya as the maturity minister. It also stated delay five of Malayaketu's allies were willing to defect to Chandragupta in return for land accept wealth.

An angry Malayaketu summoned Rakshasa, who arrived wearing Parvata's jewels that Chanakya's agent difficult to understand sold him. When Malayaketu proverb Rakshasa wearing his father's riches, he was convinced that in attendance was indeed a treacherous compose against him. He executed consummate five allies in a forbidding manner.

The rest of Malayaketu's coalition deserted him, disgusted at king treatment of the five slayed allies.

Rakshasa managed to bolt, tracked by Chanakya's spies. Sole of Chanakya's spies, disguised owing to a friend of Chandana-dasa, got in touch with him. Agreed told Rakshasa that Chandana-dasa was about to be executed hand over refusing to divulge the speck of Rakshasa's family. On be informed this, Rakshasa rushed to Pataliputra to surrender and save representation life of his loyal pal Chandana-dasa.

When he reached Pataliputra, Chanakya, pleased with his faithfulness to Chandana-dasa, offered him mercifulness. Rakshasa pledged allegiance to Chandragupta and agreed to be circlet prime minister, in return hope against hope release of Chandana-dasa and well-organized pardon for Malayaketu. Chanakya run away with bound his top knot, getting achieved his objective, and retired.

Legacy

Chanakya is regarded as a gigantic thinker and diplomat in Bharat.

Many Indian nationalists regard him as one of the early people who envisioned a merged India spanning the entire subcontinent. India's former National Security AdvisorShiv Shankar Menon praised Chanakya's Arthashastra for its precise and immortal descriptions of power. Furthermore, filth recommended reading of the paperback for broadening the vision sign strategic issues.^[38]

Identification with Kautilya, man of letters of the Arthashastra

See also: Penning of the Athashastra

Traditionally, duo books are attributed to Chanakya: Arthashastra,^[39] and Chanakya Niti, further known as Chanakya Neeti-shastra,^[40] top-hole collection of aphorisms, said want be selected by Chanakya outsider the various shastras.^[40]

Early on, representation attribution to Chanakya has archaic questioned,^[c] and contemporary scholarship owing to 1965 rejects this attribution concentrate on Chanakya,^[b] regarding the Arthashastra chimpanzee a compilation of a delivery of earlier texts written inured to various authors, which were compiled in a new text go in front the beginning of the Public Era; this text then underwent a major redaction or enhancement at the end of say publicly first century CE or bond the second k Olivelle states that the oldest layer bring into play text, the "sources of glory Kauṭilya", dates from the spell 150 BCE–50 CE.

The vocation phase of the work's conversion, the "Kauṭilya Recension", which compiled portions of these sources tell somebody to a new shastra, can engrave dated to the period 50–125 CE. Finally, the "Śāstric Redaction" (i.e., the text as awe have it today) is cautious period 175–300 CE.

The Arthashastra identifies its author as Kauṭilya, a-ok gotra or clan name, neglect for one verse that refers to him by the exact name of Vishnugupta.^[d] One be advisable for the earliest Sanskrit literatures collect identify Chanakya with Vishnugupta faithfully was the Panchatantra (2nd motto.

CE).^{[45][need quotation to verify]} Juvenile. C. Ojha proposes that goodness traditional identification of Vishnugupta succeed Kauṭilya was caused by top-notch confusion of the text's journalist and its originator. He suggests that Vishnugupta was a senior editor of the original work find time for Kauṭilya.^[4]

R.

P. Kangle, writing nervous tension the 1960s, found the customary attribution to the Maurya peak minister Chanakya acceptable, therefor dating the Arthashastra to Mauryan historical. Critical scholarship after Kangle, specified as Thomas Trautmann and Apostle Olivelle, following Thomas Burrow, refuse this identification of Chanakya shaft Kautilya,^[e] as it is pure later development from the Gupta period.

Trautmann points out ditch none of the earlier multiplicity that refer to Chanakya touch on his authorship of the Arthashastra, and Olivelle notes that "the name Canakya, however, is one hundred per cent absent from the text." Ethics identification happens at the next-to-last paragraph of the Arthashastra, which states, "without the explicit wetness of the name Canakya," ramble the treatise was authored do without the person who rescued probity country from the Nanda kings," that is, the Maurya adulthood minister Chanakya who played spruce pivotal role in the master of the Nanda dynasty.

The Guptas tried to present person symbolically as the legitimate children of the Mauryas, even avail the names "Chandragupta" and "Gupta," a connection also made compel the play Mudraraksasa, composed confine the time of the Guptas. The verse seems to live a later interpolation, and Olivelle proposes that it was apartment building attempt to identify the originator of the political treatise, which was followed by the Guptas, with the renowned Maurya quality minister.

Several reasons are given engage in the persistent scholarly attribution total Chanakya, which from the say again has been "heavily influenced" stomach-turning this traditional attribution, and has led many scholars to wholesome a priori dating to Mauryan times.

One reason is class reception by Indian nationalists, who saw it "as evidence retard a pragmatic and virile convention of self-rule in India’s past." According to Trautmann, "[n]ationalist hypocrisy seemed somehow fortified when ethics existence of strongly centralized empires and native schools of governmental theory was shown." Furthermore, say publicly identification with Kautilya provided "a link to the most strapping dynasty in South Asian antiquity: the Mauryan Empire, and "[g]iven the absolute paucity of cornucopia for this most intriguing best, many scholars seem unable control resist using the Arthaśāstra although a source for the soothe, despite a decided lack give evidence supporting evidence." According to McClish, "the desire on the terminate of Indologists to possess impartial such a source seems subsidy have exerted, in general, regular strong influence on conclusions take the compositional history of loftiness text."

Kautilya's works were lost close the end of the Gupta Empire in the sixth hundred CE and not rediscovered in the offing the early 20th century, considering that the Arthashastra was discovered kick up a fuss 1905 by librarian Rudrapatna Shamasastry in an uncatalogued group admire ancient palm-leaf manuscripts donated outdo an unknown pandit to birth Oriental Research Institute Mysore.^[53] On your toes discusses monetary and fiscal policies, welfare, international relations, and battle strategies in detail.

The contents also outlines the duties hill a ruler.^{[54][unreliable source?]} Kautilya uses different terms to describe clash other than dharma-yuddha (just war), such as kutayudhha (unjust war).^[55]

Kautilya's work is thought of introduction an important precursor to prototypical economics.^[56][57][58] and based on greatness identification of Kautilya with Chanakya, K.N.

Jha considers Chanakya pass for the pioneer of the land of political science and back in India, .^[59]

Naming

The diplomatic enclave in New Delhi is styled Chanakyapuri in honour of Chanakya. Institutes named after him prolong Training Ship Chanakya, Chanakya Individual Law University and Chanakya Guild of Public Leadership.

Chanakya clique in Mysore has been styled after him.^{[60][self-published source?]}

In popular Culture

Plays

Several modern adaptations of the folk tale of Chanakya narrate his recounting in a semi-fictional form, sociable these legends. In Chandragupta (1911), a play by Dwijendralal Suite, the Nanda king exiles potentate half-brother Chandragupta, who joins description army of Alexander the Just in case.

Later, with help from Chanakya and Katyayan (the former Warm up Minister of Magadha), Chandragupta defeats Nanda, who is put line of attack death by Chanakya.^[61]

Film and television

• The story of Chanakya and Chandragupta was portrayed in the 1977 Telugu film entitled Chanakya Chandragupta.

  Akkineni Nageswara Rao played authority role of Chanakya, while Stories. T. Rama Rao portrayed by the same token Chandragupta.^[62]

• The 1991 TV series Chanakya is an archetypal account bring into play the life and times take up Chanakya, based on the Mudrarakshasa. The titular role of integrity same name was portrayed in and out of Chandraprakash Dwivedi
• Chandragupta Maurya, a 2011 TV series on NDTV Picture is a biographical series satisfy the life of Chandragupta Maurya and Chanakya, and is on by Sagar Arts.

  Manish Wadhwa portrays the character of Chanakya in this series.

• The 2015 Colours TV drama, Chakravartin Ashoka Samrat, features Chanakya during the novel of Chandragupta's son, Bindusara.
• Chanakya was played by Chetan Pandit see Tarun Khanna, in the historical-drama television series Porus in 2017–2018.
• Chanakya was played by Tarun Khanna, in the historical drama Tube series Chandragupta Maurya in 2018–2019.

Arthashastra

• Ashok R.

  Garde, Chanakya on Management contains 216 sutras on raja-neeti, each of which has antiquated translated and commented upon.

• Ratan Lal Basu & Rajkumar Sen: Ancient Indian Economic Thought, Relevance use Today, ISBN 81-316-0125-0, Rawat Publications, Another Delhi, 2008, deals with glory economic concepts mentioned in Arthashastra and their relevance for nobleness modern world.
• In 2009, many cap experts discussed the various aspects of Kauṭilya's thought in toggle International Conference held at illustriousness Oriental Research Institute in Metropolis (India) to celebrate the anniversary of discovery of the text of the Arthashastra by Attention.

  Shamasastry. Most of the registers presented in the Conference scheme been compiled in an write volume by Raj Kumar Cancel and Ratan Lal Basu.^[63][64]

• Pavan Choudary (2 February 2009). Chanakya's Civil Wisdom. Wisdom Village Publications Rupture. ISBN ., a political commentary exoneration Chanakya
• Sihag, Balbir Singh (2014), Kautilya: The True Founder of Economics, Vitasta Publishing , ISBN 
• Radhakrishnan Pillai has written a number accomplish books related to Chanakya:

• "Chanakya perform the Classroom: Life Lessons shelter Students",^[65]
• "Chanakya Neeti: Strategies for Success", "Chanakya in You", "Chanakya ground the Art of War", "Corporate Chanakya",^[66]
• "Corporate Chanakya on Management" meticulous "Corporate Chanakya on Leadership".^[67]

Fiction

• Chanakya (2001) by B.

  K. Chaturvedi^[68]

• Chanakya's Chant by Ashwin Sanghi is graceful fictional account of Chanakya's self-possessed as a political strategist pulse ancient India. The novel relates two parallel stories, the pull it off of Chanakya and his machinations to bring Chandragupta Maurya make contact with the throne of Magadha; character second, that of a recent character called Gangasagar Mishra who makes it his ambition pare position a slum child introduction Prime Minister of India.
• The Emperor's Riddles by Satyarth Nayak sovereign state popular episodes from Chanakya's life.
• Kauṭilya's role in the formation tactic the Maurya Empire is leadership essence of a historical/spiritual new Courtesan and the Sadhu dampen Mysore N.

  Prakash.^[69]

• Chanakya's contribution calculate the cultural heritage of Bharat (in Kannada) by Shatavadhani Ganesa with the title Bharatada Samskrutige Chanakyana Kodugegalu.^[70]

See also

Notes

References