Chanakya

Chanakya, also known as Vishnugupta and Kauṭilya, was an ancient Indian teacher, philosopher, economist and statesman associated with the founding of the Maurya Empire. Traditionally placed in the 4th century BCE, he is linked to the city of Takshashila (Taxila) and to the scholarly academy there. In Indian tradition, he is described as a master of politics and political economy who wrote treatises and advised rulers. The name Chanakya is common in later literature, while Kauṭilya is the name that appears in the Arthashastra.

Chanakya is credited with guiding Chandragupta Maurya in overthrowing the Nanda dynasty and in establishing the Maurya Empire, which unified large parts of the Indian subcontinent. He is associated with strategies for statecraft, diplomacy, espionage and military planning, and with the creation of a centralized administrative framework. The Arthashastra, a comprehensive work on governance, economics and military strategy, is traditionally attributed to him, though scholarly debate surrounds its precise dating and authorship. A separate collection of aphorisms, Chanakya Niti, is attributed to his tradition.

Chanakya's legacy in Indian political thought is substantial; Arthashastra is considered one of the earliest surviving treatises on governance and public administration. His ideas on taxation, welfare administration and foreign policy influenced later political theory in the subcontinent. In cultural memory, Chanakya is revered as a prolific scholar and a shrewd strategist who played a pivotal role in shaping early Indian statecraft.