Some figures in Indian history stand tall among the rest. Not all of them were kings and rulers, but they were famous in their own right and known as kingmakers. They were the advisors of famous kings, such as Chanakya, who was prime minister in Chandragupta Maurya’s cabinet and Birbal, who was army commander for the Mughal emperor, Akbar. Both helped establish their kings’ empires with some astute thinking, statesmanship and several acts of bravery.
Chanakya is widely credited for helping Mauryan emperor Chandragupta in his rise to power and for his important role in establishing and consolidating the Mauryan Empire. Chanakya was chief advisor and prime minister to both emperors Chandragupta, and to his son, Bindusara.
He was an academician who taught political science and economics at Takshila University and is credited to be the author of the ancient text of Arthashastra. He is believed to have written Arthashastra between the fourth and third century BC. The author of the text is also identified as Kauṭilya, but that is a gotra or the name of a clan, and one verse in the text says that the author is Vishnugupta, who was better known as Chanakya, the teacher.
It is also said that the text was written by Chanakya for the young king, Chandragupta Maurya after he was appointed as the latter’s prime minister. It was meant to be a reference guide for the king to help in ruling the state effectively.
The Arthashastra says that nations must act in their own self-interest as dictated to it by the state of its political, economic and military affairs. The same principles are now applied in every modern-day nation’s foreign policy or diplomacy principles.
This is apparent in the present-day war being fought in Ukraine, a tiny country caught in the mighty game of power being played out by Russia on the one hand and by the US on the other. Maybe it is a war being fought in the name of the US and Russia’s self-interests?
Wikipedia describes Chanakya as an ancient Indian polymath who was active as a teacher, author, strategist, philosopher, economist, jurist and royal advisor. But how did an academician of the Takshila university end up in the political arena? That is, in itself, the stuff of a modern-day legend. It is said that this Vedic scholar from Takshila university was invited by the court of Dhanananda who then ruled the kingdom of Magadha. But instead of being felicitated by the king, he was insulted in an alms-giving ceremony, and the wily academician then vowed to overthrow the king and install his own candidate on the throne.
He identified Chandragupta, a lesser-known royal and together, the two cleverly achieved the impossible and Dhanananda was overthrown. Thereafter, Chandragupta was installed as king and he naturally appointed Chanakya as his prime minister. The rest, as they say, is history.
A well-researched article by Ian Chadwick available on the internet, titled Chanakya, the Indian Machiavelli traces more truths outlined in the Arthashastra. Ian Chadwick writes (http://ianchadwick.com/machia- velli/chanakya-the-indian-mach- iavelli/):
Striving to make Chandragupta`s position secure in an unstable and dangerous time, Chanakya championed a policy of realpolitik. He deployed a large network of spies, ensured testing for the king`s food and shelter; averted disasters through keen detection like that of ants carrying rice through cracks in flooring. He was not averse to spreading rumours to win over an opponent to the king`s side. Behind all this was the burning desire to stir the country`s ruler to sweep away the vestiges of Greek rule that remained behind Alexander`s invasion and return from India.
Doesn’t that sound exactly like a modern-day political and spy thriller? No wonder, so many authors in modern times have been writing about this politician and the relevance of his ideas to political life as we know it today.
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