Who was Chanakya ?

He is considered a pioneer in the fields of political science and economics in India due to the significant contributions he made to the development of these fields.

Chanakya, also identified as Kauṭilya or Vishnu Gupta, was a powerful statesman in the court of the first Mauryan emperor Chandragupta and played a pivotal role in the establishment of the Maurya empire.

Born into a Brahmin family, Chanakya was educated at Takshashila, an ancient centre of learning located in north-western ancient India.

He was a highly learned person with in-depth knowledge in varied subjects like economics, politics, war strategies, medicine, and astrology.

Chanakya is considered as extremely cunning and shrewd politician. He is also known as one of the earliest economists of ancient India.

Beginning his career as a teacher, he went on to become a trusted ally of Emperor Chandragupta. Acting as the emperor’s counselor and adviser.

Ashwin Sangi wrote a book known as Chanakya’s Chant in which Sangi claims that it was Chanakya who was responsible for uniting entire nation when India was attacked by Alexander the Great.

He was instrumental in helping Chandragupta overthrow the powerful Nanda dynasty at Pataliputra, in the Magadha region and helped Chandragupta consolidate his powers. Chanakya also served as the adviser to Chandragupta’s son Bindusara.

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.

Chanakya was born in a Brahmin family in 350 BC. The details regarding the place of his birth are unclear.

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.

According to the Jain writer Hemachandra, Chanakya was born in the Chanaka village of the Golla region, to Chanin and his wife Chaneshvari while other sources claim that his father’s name was Chanak.

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

He was educated at Takshashila, an ancient centre of learning located in north-western ancient India (present-day Pakistan).

He grew up to be a well-read young man, with knowledge in a variety of subjects including economics, political science, war strategies, medicine and astrology.

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.

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

It is also believed that he was familiar with elements of Greek and Persian learning.

He was fully knowledgeable concerning the Vedas literature too. After completing his education he became a teacher (acharya) of political science and economics at Takshashila.

Chanakya’s views about an ideal wife were a bit twisted too.

Chanakya was introduced to the king Dhana Nanda who was the ruler of the Nanda dynasty.

It is said that Chanakya was so intelligent that he had a solution to every problem that showed up. It is also said that apart from being a pioneer economist and a politician, he even achieved the knowledge of astronomy and medicine.

He was a powerful king though despised by his subjects because of his wickedness.

According to many historians, Chanakya was born in 350 BCE and that he had a very manipulative nature that helped in the formation of Maurya Dynasty – one of the largest dynasties ever known in ancient India.

The king insulted Chanakya, and the embittered Chanakya swore to destroy the Nanda kingdom.