Chanakya

Chanakya (4th Century BC) is the more popular name of Kautilya, the mentor, counselor, and later prime minister of Chandragupta Maurya. He is known for his unscrupulousness. He wrote a treaties on statecraft called Arthasastra, ie the Science of Statecraft, the only work which is attributed to him. This political thinker of the ancient India was a seasoned politician, who successfully manoeuvred the politics of the time and brought Chandragupta in power. He practised a tactics which is known as "Chanakya Niti". This very much tactics resemble the tactics of Machiavelli several centuries later, which is now popularly known as Machiavellian tactics.

Wisdom & Quotes

• The king's pious vow is readiness in action,

His sacrifice, the discharge of his duty.
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In the happiness of his subject lies the king's happiness,
In the welfare of his subjects, his welfare,
The King's good is not that which pleases him,
But that which pleases his subject.

Therefore, the king should be ever active,
And should strive for prosperity,
For prosperity depends on effort,
And failure on the reverse.
- Arthashastra

Yagyavalkya the Buddhist monk