Kautilya, also spelled Kautalya, was a Hindu statesman and political philosopher in the 300’s B.C. He served as an adviser to Chandragupta Maurya, the first ruler of the Mauryan Empire, which controlled most of India from about 324 to about 185 B.C. Kautilya was also known as Chanakya, Canakya, and Vishnugupta.
Kautilya is said to have written the Arthashastra (also spelled Arthasastra), a major work in Sanskrit on Indian property, politics, and economics. In English, it is known as The Science of Material Gain. The book, lost for centuries, was rediscovered in 1905. It helped modern scholars form a better understanding of India’s political and economic conditions during the Mauryan period. It also shed light on various aspects of Indian law and administration.
The Arthashastra deals with all aspects of material gain and success. It also covers the arts of kingship, effective government, and diplomacy. Among his many recommendations, Kautilya advises that a king should develop an efficient spy network extending to all levels of society. He also supports political assassination. Kautilya teaches that a king must treat his neighbor as his enemy and his neighbor’s neighbor as his ally. Such advice earned him the name “the Indian Machiavelli,” after Niccolo Machiavelli, an Italian political thinker of the 1500’s who praised ruthlessness. However, Kautilya’s political wisdom and sound understanding of human nature has led many experts to compare him to the Greek philosophers Plato and Aristotle.
According to tradition, Kautilya was born a Brahman, a member of India’s highest caste (social class). He was educated at Taxila, in what is now Pakistan, and had some knowledge of medicine. Through contact with Zoroastrians, followers of the Persian prophet Zoroaster, he probably learned about Greek and Persian culture. Kautilya became a loyal adviser to King Chandragupta Maurya. He helped Chandragupta to overthrow the powerful Nanda dynasty of Magadha and to found the Mauryan Empire about 324 B.C. While Chandragupta enjoyed the trappings of kingship at Pataliputra, in northern India, Kautilya lived a simple life. Chandragupta reigned until about 298 B.C. He is said to have used the Arthashastra as his guide.
See also Chandragupta Maurya ; Mauryan Empire ; Zoroastrianism .
