Chanakya – Scholar and Administrator Par Excellence
Chanakya (350-275 BCE) was a great Indian teacher, philosopher, statesman, royal adviser, economist and jurist. His immense works were lost towards the end of the Gupta Empire and were rediscovered only in the early 20th Century. Let us learn about this Himalayan personality.
Jain Version
According to this version, Chanakya was born to Jains Chanin and Chanesvari. He was born with a full set of teeth, which implied that he would one day become king.
- He was impressed by the young Chandragupta and, impressed by his personality and show of power, decided to train him to be a ruler.
- He took the boy and went to Pataliputra, where he and his army got severely defeated by Nanda’s army, and formed an alliance with Parvataka, the king of Himavatkuta.
- They **** siege on the towns surrounding the town, and eventually captured the town.
Chanakya and Alexander the Great
Alexander came to India around 327 BC
- He tried to cross the Jhelum River to start his invasion, but was stopped by King Purushottam (often referred to as King Porus).
- The two armies fought for long during the ensuing epic Battle of Hydaspes.
- After defeating Porus, Alexander made an alliance with him, also appointing him as satrap of his own kingdom.
The Chanakya Neeti and the Arthashastra
These are two of the most important books written by the Indian philosopher and statesman.
- In both of these books, he talks about various aspects of administration, including monetary and fiscal policies, war strategies, welfare, international relations, and so on, and also talks about the duties of a ruler.
Was Chanakya Responsible for Alexander’s Death?
Alexander the Great was, as his name suggested, practically invincible. Chandragupta Maurya had only been able to stop his progress to a certain extent.
- When he saw that he could not defeat the mighty warrior by honest means, he chose to take the crooked route to break the latter’s resolve and completely annihilate him.
Chanakya’s Birth and Life
Legend has it that Chanak (or Canin) was born in South India, but this is subject to dispute
- He was educated at the University of Takshashila and later became a professor there
- Although raised as an orthodox Brahmin, he knew that he had the capability to rule a kingdom
- Not handsome, but his tremendous knowledge more than made up for his lack of looks
Dhana Nanda and Chanakya
The king of the Nanda dynasty (referred to as Agrammes or Xandrames in Greek history) is believed to have been powerful and ruled over the Parsii (Prachya) and the Gangaridai people.
- His army was very large and consisted of 200,000 infantry, 20,000 cavalry, 2,000 war chariots and 3,000 elephants.
- He, however, was quite unpopular, both with his own subjects and with neighboring states as well, because his government levied heavy taxes and fleeced the people of their wealth.
Chanakya Fulfils His Vow
The exact circumstances of Dhana Nanda’s destruction and ultimate death are not clear. Some narratives suggest that he was killed by Chandragupta Maurya himself, after the latter captured Pataliputra.
- Another possible version suggests that he adopted Buddhism shortly before his exile and completely renounced the material world.
Background
There is no official, exact record about Chanakya’s life and times. Precious little historically documented information can be found on him – most of it comes from semi-legendary sources.
- The only thing common in all these versions is that Chanakiya was once insulted by the Nanda King and vowed to annihilate him.
In Indian Art, Literature and Culture, Chanakya enjoys pride of place in many modern adaptations and semi-fictional works
His legend is kept alive even in the present time, via books, plays, television serials and films
- Several experts discussed Kautilya’s philosophy and thought in an International Conference held at Mysore
Kautilya or Vishnugupta
Chanakya is often associated with the Arthashastra, which identifies its author’s name as Kautiyasa (Vishnu Sharma’s Panchatantra).
- The word “Kutila” in Sanskrit means “crooked”.
The Greeks Refrain from Invading Magadha
After meeting with his officer Coenus, Alexander decided to return from there.
- In spite of a decline in health, he continued to fight and conquered all the regions down the Indus River to the Arabian Sea.
Chanakya’s Role in the Rise of Chandragupta
Realizing by then that king Nanda had to be defeated in order to bring him into power, he approached king Parvataka and made an alliance with him
- This alliance gave him a powerful army, made up of the Greeks, the Scythians, Nepalese, Persians and several other sects
- They laid siege to Pataliputra and forced the Nanda rulers to surrender their beautiful kingdom
Buddhist Version
Chanakya was a Brahmin from Takkasila (Takshashila), who was an expert in the Vedas, aspects of ruling and political administration.
- One day, he went to a ceremony which was conducted by King Dhana Nanda, and was rebuked by the king. Disgusted with his appearance, he broke his sacred thread and cursed the king, escaping arrest and fleeing in the disguise of an Ajivika (a monk).
- He fled to the Vinjha forest, where he made 800 million gold coins using a siddhi (power), which enabled him to turn 1 coin into 8. He hid the money in a safe spot and went in search of someone worthy enough to replace Dhana.
Dhana Nanda Insults Chanakya
In Buddhist legend, a Brahmin nobleman named Chakra enters the palace to apply for a royal position, but is greeted by insults from the Nanda Princes
- He is shown to be unkempt, and insulted, calling him an ugly monkey
- The king thought that he was not refined enough in behavior and hence refused to offer him the position
Chanakya Unifies Political India
He formed a network of spies to politically unify India for the first ever time, under the rule of Chandragupta
- In due course of time, the Greeks developed strong diplomatic ties with India, preventing them from invading other Indian territories and giving rise to a parallel, rich Indo-Greek culture
Influences Seleucus I Nicator
Influenced by Alexander’s former general, Chandragupta
- Invaded and defeated the Nanda dynasty in battle
- Wanted to marry Helena, but could not win the war
- Would be willing to form an alliance with him and give him back certain regions he had lost in the war
Interesting Facts about Chanakya
A true leader is one who creates more leaders
- He openly challenged the corrupt Dhana Nanda, in his own court; in front of his own men
- His great vision was to create a unified India; free of foreign rule
- Used to consume a wee bit of poison every day, so that his body would get used to it
- Raised Chandragupta, trained him in warfare, administration, economics and politics, and ultimately made him the ruler of Pataliputra
- Believed to have mastered the art of alchemy
- Could also become invisible at will
- Some believe that he practiced black magic