Who was Chanakya ?

There are many legends which state that Chanakya actually maintained an army of females. These women were known as Vishakanyas. As per legends, Vishakanyas were extremely beautiful girls who were given small doses of poisons every day along with food

One of the most interesting of Chanakya facts is that Acharya Chanakya was possibly the man who pioneered inequality among men and women that India faces today. We learned about a few of his views about women.

The emperor, unaware of this fact, once shared his food with his pregnant queen Durdhara who was just days away from giving birth.

Because of the small doses of poison, the girls grew resistant to any kind of poisoning. Not just that, it is believed that the girls were given poison until they reached puberty and then they were used for secret assassination mission.

The poison in the food acted quickly and the queen collapsed and died within a few minutes.

Chanakya also held the view that a woman’s heart is always divided. According to him, a woman might talk to one person but at that instant, she will actually be looking at a second man with eyes of lust and will in her heart, have fond thoughts about a third man.

In order to save the unborn child in her womb, Chanakya cut open her stomach and extracted the baby.

Chanakya even held the view that a man should marry a girl only if she is a virgin. If the virginity clause is fulfilled, it won’t matter if that girl is deformed.

As per legends, the poisons fed to the girls made them so deadly that even their kisses could easily kill a person.

This baby, named Bindusara, succeeded Chandragupta Maurya on growing up. Chanakya served as an advisor to Bindusara for some years.

Chanakya authored the treatise ‘Arthashastra’ which discusses a variety of topics such as monetary and fiscal policies, welfare, international relations, and war strategies in detail.

One of the most interesting of Chanakya facts is that Chanakya’s views on women were not really great. Those views might have been accepted in ancient times but in modern times, they are considered as disgusting views. According to him, women are not trustworthy for they have corrupt and vile nature.

Chanakya wrote Chanakya-Niti or Nitishastra – a political treatise on policies and foreign relations that hold significance even to this day. Modern world leaders and politicians often use the policies mentioned in Nitishastra (though they possibly don’t know that they are using some policy mentioned in Nitishastra).

The text is believed to a compilation of the works of various authors by some scholars.

If that’s not enough, here is another view that Chanakya held – a woman can attain purity only if she drinks the water that has been used for cleansing or washing the feet of her husband. She can never attain such purity by drinking holy water or observing fasts or even offering charity

Chanakya was the pioneer of economic. He was the first person to write one economics. He created the Arthashastra, which holds significance even today – more than 2000 years after Chanakya died.

The ‘Arthashastra’ also explores issues related to the nature of government, law, civil and criminal court systems, ethics, economics, markets and trade, nature of peace, and the duties and obligations of a king.

Chanakya’s views about an ideal wife were a bit twisted too. According to him, an ideal wife should have the following characteristics:

Talking of economics and Chanakya’s visions, here is a quick story that has been handed down to us through legends. According to the story, Greek ethnographer Megasthenes visited India during Chandragupta’s rule. During that time, he became a friend of Chanakya and visited Chanakya at his place one evening only to see Chanakya working on state documents.

Topics such as agriculture, mineralogy, mining and metals, animal husbandry, medicine, forests and wildlife are also covered in the treatise.

In the morning, she should be serving her husband like a mother serves her son.

Chanakya requested him to wait and when Chanakya finished his work, he put of the lamp that he was using for his work. After that, Chanakya lit another lamp and came to meet Megasthenes.

Chanakya died in 275 BC. Details regarding the death of Chanakya are shrouded in mystery.

In the noon, she should be ‘loving and caring’ towards her husband like a sister is to her brother.

About Chanakya’s death, there are two legends. It is said that Chanakya died in 283 BCE. The most commonly accepted fact is that he went to a jungle and starved himself to death. Equally accepted theory is that there was a minister in Samrat Bindusara’s court by the name of Subandhu.