Chanakya was the first political thinker, this world have seen. His
written books are still took as reference on various political
situations.
Chanakya, also known as
Kautilya or Vishnugupta, was a professor (acharya) of political science
at the Takshasila University and the Prime Minister of Chandragupta
Maurya. He live in between 350BC - 275 BC. He is regarded as one of the
earliest known political thinkers, economists and king-makers. In
Jawaharlal Nehru's Discovery of India, Chanakya has been called the
Indian Machiavelli.
Chanakya is perhaps lesser known in
world history compared to later political philosophers like Sun-Tzu and
Machiavelli, but is definitely considered as the first genuine
political theorist in Indian history. It is said that his foresight and
wide knowledge coupled with politics of expediency helped found the
mighty Mauryan Empire in India.
Chanakya was born
in Magadha (ruled by the Nandas) as the son of acharya Chanak. At an
early age, he began study of the Vedas, then considered the toughest
scriptures to study and memorise. He was a dilligent student and loved
to study political science especially the role of king and the ways of
effective administration. After his father was accused as a traitor and
killed in prison, Chanakya left Magadha vowing never to come back. He
later came back to ask Nandas for help against the Greek invasion but
was humiliated and sent back. He then vowed to cause the downfall of
Magadha empire. He was responsible not only for helping Chandragupta
Maurya usurp the throne , but also for uniting the Indian states for
fighting against the attack by Alexander the Great around 327 BC.
Chanakya
enjoyed the best education at the time, in 'Takshasila' (also known in
its corrupted form as Taxila).Takshasila had established itself as a
place of learning and it was there that Panini had written the Sanskrit
Grammar. The new states in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh by uttarapatha along
the base of the Himalayas maintained contact with Takshasila and at
the eastern end of the uttarapatha was the kingdom of Magadha with its
capital city, Pataliputra. Chanakya's life was connected to these two
cities, Pataliputra and Takshasila.
The University taught
subjects using the best of practical knowledge acquired by the teachers.
The age of entering the University was sixteen. The branches of
studies most sought after in around India ranged from law, medicine,
warfare and other indigenous forms of learning. Chanakya eventually
became a professor of political science at the University. Two of his
more famous students were Bhadrabhatt and Purushdutt.
Political
turmoil in Western India at that time caused by greek invasion forced
Chanakya to leave the University environment for the city of
'Patliputra' (presently known as Patna, in the state of Bihar, India),
which was ruled by the Nanda king Dhanananda. Although Chanakya
initially prospered in his relations with the ruler, being a blunt
person he was soon disliked by the Dhanananda. This ended with Chanakya
being removed from an official position he enjoyed.
Folklore
has it that on his way out of the city after his removal, Chanakya was
hurt by a thorny bush. He then bought a pot of milk and poured on the
bush so that ants could come and destroy the bush. It is said that at
this moment he was observed by a young Chandragupta Maurya, the future
Emperor and creator of the Mauryan empire. Chanakya took a promising
young boy often from the streets and brought him up to become one of the
greatest emperors of India.
Chanakya was the kingmaker
who actually planned the unification of India for the first time under
Chandragupta. Chanakya is also supposed to have induced Amatya Rakshasa
from the enemy camp to serve as Chandragupta's Prime minister.
The
folklore in India differs in some aspects from the established
mainstream history. He is often referred as the most crooked of
diplomats (Kautilya in Sanskrit means "one who is very cunning"). It is
said that Chanakya made Chandragupta join Alexander and become one of
his Lieutenants. This trust was fostered by various means, including
murders and misinformation. Soon he engineered a propaganda war in
Alexander's secondary army made up of mostly paid mercenaries that had
come under Chandragupta's command or influence. The propaganda was
designed to break the main army's strength by creating confusion. It is
said that Alexander was well prepared for a war but could not instill
confidence in his army. At the most opportune moment Chankaya made
Chandragupta revolt. Chandragupta snapped logistics and communication
links that were exposed systematically throughout to bribes and
promises to ambitious warlords. Ensuing confusions were engineered by
misinformation. Alexander was thus forced to try to retreat. However,
he was advised to retreat by an unfamiliar and dangerous route.
Confused and shaken, for some reason Alexander followed the suggestion
and ventured through arid desert-like terrain, where most of his army
reeled under heat, thirst, hunger, and disease. The returning army,
already weakened by the climate, was attacked and brutally plundered.
With
Alexander out, the images of Chandragupta and Chanakya were those of
superheroes and helped make small kings submit easily. With each
victory, their power increased, and soon the supposedly impossible was
accomplished.
According to a legend, while
Chanakya served as the Prime Minister of Chandragupta Maurya, he
started adding small amounts of poison in Chandragupta's food so that
he would get used to it. The aim of this was to prevent the Emperor
from being poisoned by enemies. One day the queen, Durdha, shared the
food with the Emperor while she was pregnant. Since she was not used to
eating poisoned food, she died. Chanakya decided that the baby should
not die; hence he cut open the belly of the queen and took out the
baby. A drop (bindu) of poison had passed to the baby's head, and hence
Chanakya named him Bindusara.
When Bindusara became a
youth, Chandragupta gave up the throne and followed the Jain saint
Bhadrabahu to Karnataka and settled in a place known as Sravana
Belagola. He lived as an ascetic for some years and died of starvation
according to Jain tradition.
Chanakya meanwhile stayed as
the Prime Minister of Bindusara. Bindusara also had a minister named
Subandhu who did not like Chanakya. One day he told Bindusara that
Chanakya was responsible for the murder of his mother. Bindusara asked
the nurses who confirmed this story and he became very angry with
Chanakya.
It is said that Chanakya, on hearing that the
Emperor was angry with him, thought that anyway he was at the end of
his life. He donated all his wealth to the poor, widows and orphans and
sat on a dung heap, prepared to die by total abstinence from food and
drink. Bindusara meanwhile heard the full story of his birth from the
nurses and rushed to beg forgiveness of Chanakya. But Chanakya would
not relent. Bindusara went back and vent his fury on Subandhu, who
asked for time to beg for forgiveness from Chanakya.
Subandhu,
who still hated Chanakya, wanted to make sure that Chanakya did not
return to the city. So he arranged for a ceremony of respect, but
unnoticed by anyone, slipped a smoldering charcoal ember inside the dung
heap. Aided by the wind, the dung heap was o
n fire and the man behind
the Mauryan Empire and the author of Arthashastra was burned to death.
