Chanakya ( ) One of the greatest philosophers in the

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Chanakya (??????)

• One of the greatest philosophers in the history
  of mankind.

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General Information

• Born around 350 BC and died around 283 BC
• Name at birth was Vishnugupta but was later known
  as Chanakya and Kautilya
• Born in Patliputra, Maghadh which is currently
  Patna, Bihar in India
• Teacher of political science at Taxila University
• Later became Prime Minister of Emperor
  Chandragupta Maurya

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Childhood and Education

• Vishnugupta was born to Rishi Chanak in
  Patliputra who was a revolutionary against the
  evil emperor of Magadh. Chanak was exiled after
  publicly speaking out against the king.
  Vishnugupta left soon after to study at the
  famous Taxila University.
• Taxila was the best University of the time and
  offered education in many different fields.

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Life in Taxila

• After completing his education, Vishnugupta
  became a professor at the Taxila University.
  Here he got the names Chanakya and Kautilya due
  to his fame and wits.
• Gandhar Republic attacked Taxila because the
  dim-witted prince of Taxila sent soldiers to the
  border to abuse and torture the people living
  there.
• Taxila was defeated in no time but Porus, the
  king of Gandhar, demanded that Gandharians not be
  attacked again and left without taking or
  destroying anything.

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Alexander the Great

• Before Taxila could recover from being defeated,
  thousands of refugees came into Taxila saying
  that there was a white invader by the name of
  Alexshendra who was planning on attacking India.
• The dim-witted prince of Taxila became friends
  with Alexander when he arrived and gave him
  soldiers and money to support his planned
  conquests.
• When Chanakya heard about this he immediately
  turned the school into a war training station and
  rebeled against the Greeks. Chanakya created his
  own army and an impressive system of spies to
  destroy the Greeks. Alexander conquered many
  kingdoms before he left India. While traveling
  back to Greece, he died. The general he had left
  in India was killed by a spy acting as a
  messenger. The Greek rule in India collapsed and
  Bharat (India) was free again.

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Chandragupta

• After defeating the Greeks Chanakya returned to
  his homeland, Patliputra. One day, while walking
  on the road he stepped on some thorns. He
  controlled his anger, bent down and destroyed
  every one of the thorns.
• The prime minister who had recently been insulted
  by the tyrannical Dhananand (the king) saw this
  event and thought that such a determined man
  could help him get his revenge. He then took
  Chanakya to the kings court. The king laughed
  and made fun of him. Chanakya swore to destroy
  the king and his sons for that insult.
• The prime minister recommended that Dhananands
  eldest son Chandragupta would be fit to rule.
  His father and eight brothers had repeatedly
  tried to kill him because his mother was of
  low-caste and he was extremely strong and
  intelligent.

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Defeat of Magadh

• Chanakya went around telling peasants and common
  folk that Magadh needed to be in stronger hands
  and not under the rule of the tyrannous
  Dhanananda.
• Chandragupta gathered a huge militia in this way.
  While he was doing this, Chanakya persuaded a
  greedy King called Parvatak to help because
  Chanakya assured him half of Magadh.
• Chandraguptas army attacked and defeated the
  army of Magadh with Chanakyas guidance.

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Rakshas

• Dhananads chief minister Rakshas was still
  trying to avenge his masters death. He met with
  Parvatak (The king Chanakya promised half his
  land) and convinced the king to help him by
  promising him the entire kingdom of Magadh.
• Chandragupta became sick so Rakshas bribed the
  physician to put poison in the medicine.
  Chanakya made the physician drink the medicine
  himself and in this way Chandragupta was saved.
• A few weeks later, Chandragupta was being moved
  to the former palace of Dhananand. Rakshas
  planted soldiers in the cellars to kill
  Chandragupta at night.
• Chanakya saw ants coming from a crack in the
  floor carrying grains of rice during his
  inspection and immediately realized that there
  were soldiers in the basement. He ordered the
  guards to burn the palace immediately and not to
  let anyone escape.

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Rakshas

• Rakshas was very angry after many of his warriors
  were burned but he didnt give up. He sent a
  poisonous dancer to Chandragupta to kill him.
  Chanakya immediately recognized the dancer and
  sent her to King Parvatak yo kill him
• Rakshas then allied with Parvataks son Malyaketu
  and 5 other kings to attack Magadh. To break
  this alliance, Chanakyas spies saved Rakshass
  friend and took him to Rakshas. As payment for
  this favor, Rakshas let the spy stay with him.
• The same night, the spy let himself be caught
  near Mlayaketus tent. He was carrying a fake
  letter from Rakshas telling Chandragupta that he
  and the five kings were going to betray him.
  When he read this he killed the five other kings
  and only let Rakshas go because he was a Brahmin.
  Chanakya then met Rakshas and made him the prime
  minister of Magadh because he admired Rakshass
  loyalty and determination.

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Gifts

• How Chanakyas gifts helped him achieve his goals.

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Special Gifts and Abilities

• Chanakya was amazing at guessing his enemys
  every move and never once did he fail to predict
  his enemys doings. He was also very good at
  persuasion. (defeating Rakshas)
• Chanakya was very good at spy work and managing
  spy-systems and conducting unexpected attacks on
  his enemies (defeat of the Greeks)
• Chanakya was a great political philosopher who
  wrote the Arthashastra and Nitishastra. He has
  been called the Indian Machiavelli for his works.

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Chanakya vs. Machiavelli

• Both were political philosophers
• Machiavellis works are based on how to maintain
  control while Chanakyas works talk about basic
  principles and what is an ideal ruler.
• Both mens works related to their respective time
  periods but they still have some basic things in
  common.
• Chanakya used his principles and defeated the
  Greeks and Maghada while Machiavelli didnt
  defeat any government or empire.

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Accomplishments

• The many great things Chanakya accomplished in
  his lifetime.

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Uniting India

• Chanakya was the person who thought of the plans
  to defeat Alexander out of India. To accomplish
  this, he united different kingdoms to fight
  against the Greeks which was a very rare
  occurrence.
• He also thought of the plans to take over his
  homeland, Magadh, from the tyrannical rule of the
  Nand Dynasty and handed it over to his main
  apprentice, Chandragupta Maurya. Under
  Chanakyas guidance, Chandragupta created a huge
  empire unititig most of India by using Magadhs
  enormous military force and wealth. This later
  became the great Ashokan Empire and for the first
  time in its history, India was a united nation.

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Major Works by Chanakya

• The Arthashastra is a treatise on statecraft,
  economic policy and military strategy written by
  Chanakya. It is divided into 15 books and is
  basically a kings manual on how to run a
  kingdom.
• The Nitishastra is a book about political ethics
  taken from various Shastras and compiled by
  Chanakya and is also useful when running a
  government.

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Excerpt from Arthashastra

• A debt should be paid off till the last penny,
  and an enemy should be destroyed without a trace.
  
• A human being should strive for four things in
  life dharma (duty), artha (money), kama
  (pleasure) and moksha (salvation). A person who
  hasn't striven for even one of these things has
  wasted life.
• A man is great by deeds, not by birth.
• A person should not be too honest. Just as
  straight trees are chopped-down first, honest
  people are taken advantage of first.
• Friendship should be among equals .

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Impact

• In India, Chanakya is held as a intelligent
  scholar who rid India of the Greeks and killed
  the bad and tyrannous kings of the time and gave
  way to the Ashokan Empire. His books are also
  very esteemed and have helped many people operate
  businesses and even governments.
• In the west, however, scholars view him as a
  malicious but genius Brahmin who ruthlessly
  slaughtered and overthrew kings to put himself in
  power. This of course is not true but is the
  cause of misinformation from the British.
• In his time he became very famous and liked after
  defeating the Greeks but after defeating Magadh,
  many commoners and nobles loyal to the Nand
  Dynasty wanted revenge.

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Quotes from Chaanakya Neeti

• If you were to choose between evil person and a
  snake to keep company with, opt for the snake.
  Because a snake will bite only in self-defense
  but an evil person can put a bit for any reason
  and any time or always.

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Quotes from Chaanakya Neeti

• Strange is the character of noble souls. They
  dont give much weight to the importance of
  riches yet when riches comes to them the weight
  of the money bends them down into more humility.

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Quotes from Chaanakya Neeti

• You can win over a greedy by offer of money, a
  proud person by cowering before him, a fool by
  agreeing with him and a scholar by speaking the
  truth.

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Quotes from Chaanakya Neeti

• Do not live in a country that does not allow
  you self-respect, honor, means of living, a
  family, kith and kin, friends, well wishers, ways
  of education and self-development. Quit such
  country. It is not fit for living.

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Quotes from Chaanakya Neeti

• Be content with what you have already got as
  wife, food and income. But dont ever be content
  with your knowledge, self-improvement and
  charity.

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Quotes from Chaanakya Neeti

• Treat your kid like a darling for the first
  five years. For the next five years, scold them.
  By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a
  friend. Your grown up children are your best
  friends

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Sources

• Microsoft Encarta 2004
• Amar Chitra Katha Chanakya
• http//www.researchfellow.net/fpost131.html
• http//www.worldofbiography.com/9046-Chanakya/gall
  ery.htm
• Chandra Prakash Dwivedis Chanakya