NAME: Sakshi

SURNAME: Seth
FARTHER’S NAME: Satish Seth
MOTHER’S NAME: Nayantara Seth
CLASS: FYBAMMC
ACADENIC YEAR: 2020-21
ROLL NUMBER: 20
MOBILE NUMBER: 8104276756
TOPIC: Chanakya.
 CHANAYKAY
Chanakya was an ancient Indian teacher, philosopher, economist, jurist and royal
advisor. He also called Kautilya or Vishnugupta. He was born into
a Brahman family and received his education at Taxila (now in Pakistan). He is
known to have had a knowledge of medicine and astrology, and it is believed he
was familiar with elements of Greek and Persian learning introduced into India by
Zoroastrians. Some authorities believe he was a Zoroastrian or at least was
strongly influenced by that religion. Chanakya became a counselor and adviser
to Chandragupta. He was founder of the Mauryan Empire of northern India, but
lived by himself. He was instrumental in helping Chandragupta overthrow the
powerful Nanda dynasty at Pataliputra, in the Magadha region.
Chanakya’s book came to be Chandragupta’s guide. Each of its 15 sections deals
with a phase of government, which Chanakya sums up as “the science of
punishment.” He openly advises the development of an elaborate spy system
reaching into all levels of society and encourages political and secret
assassination. Lost for centuries, the book was discovered in 1905.
Compared by many to Italian statesman and writer Niccolò Machiavelli and by
others to Aristotle and Plato, Chanakya is alternately condemned for his
ruthlessness and trickery and praised for his sound political wisdom and
knowledge of human nature. All authorities agree, however, that it was mainly
because of Chanakya that the Mauryan Empire under Chandragupta and later
under Ashoka and became a model of efficient government.

The relationship between Chandragupta and Chanakya bloomed through the years
developing into a strong force for their enemies. Most of the historical events took
place right under the eyes of Chanakya and Chandragupta. The troops of Alexander
and the umpteen number of invaders who ravaged the subcontinent for decades
around India. It is said that Chandragupta met Alexander. The bold and arrogant
talk by Chandragupta enraged Alexander as a result of which Chandragupta was
arrested. Chanakya’s training to Chandragupta was over by now and he thought it
to be the right occasion to let Chandragupta taste the practical aspect of warfare.
Chanakya closely observed the movement and strategies employed by Alexander.
He also became aware of the weaknesses of the Indian rulers.
The rustic boy that Chandragupta was, now had matured into a sound military
commander. The source of strength for Chandragupta and his army was the power
of mind and the towering personality of Chanakya. In that war of independence for
northern India, Chandragupta was the physical instrument, while its thinking brain
was Chanakya.

The deterioration of the prowess of Alexander happened because of the weakening

of Satraps or the commanding officers. Niccosar, a Satrap was killed even when
Alexander was alive. Another formidable Satrap called Philip, was killed weakening
Alexander like never before. After Alexander’s death in Babylon, all his Satraps
were either killed or dislodged, one by one. Alexander’s lieutenants divided his
empire among themselves in 321 BC. No realm east of the Indus – the River Sindhu
was mentioned in that settlement. It meant that the Greeks themselves had
accepted that this region had gone out of their rule.

Acharya Chanakya Neeti is fulfilled with a lots of life lessons. According to history,
it is known that Chanakya was educated at Takshasila, an ancient university of
Bharat Varsha. He was connected to two cities, Takshasila and Pataliputra in
Magadha.
Acharya Chanakya’s Arthashastra deals with subjects like welfare, fiscal and
monetary policies, war strategies and international relations. On the other hand,
the ‘Neeti Shastra’ is regarded as the collection of aphorisms which are collected
by him from the existing shastras.
With the help of his advice, Mauryan Empire, under the rule of Chandragupta
Maurya made a lot of progress.Life lessons of Acharya Chanakya and
teachings from Chanakya are even taught as an important part of Management
Studies which is also referred as Chanakya Neeti.

Here are some of the life lessons that he gave:

Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere.

Education beats the beauty and the youth.
Acharya Chanakya by this statement explained that a person may be weak in
terms of strength or may be average or below average looking or may not have
ample of wealth but he will be still treated as wise person and gain a lot of
respect from everyone and everywhere if he is well educated. A rich person can
lose his wealth, beauty may be lost in due course of time, relations and love made
fade out but education and knowledge never leaves a person in any
condition. Acharya Chanakya Neeti gave best life lessons that Education and
knowledge can only be increased and in any condition it can not be stolen from
you.

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. The text is believed to a compilation of the works of various
authors by some scholars.
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. Topics such as agriculture,
mineralogy, mining and metals, animal husbandry, medicine, forests and wildlife
are also covered in the treatise.

Charvaka & the Arthashastra

Once Chandragupta was installed as king, Chanakya became his prime minister.
He may have composed the Arthashastra shortly afterwards but any claim
regarding a specific date of composition is speculative. What is clear, however, is
that the work could not have been written were it not for the philosophical school
of Charvaka which established the kind of intellectual landscape which allowed
for it.

Charvaka rejected religious interpretations of existence in favor of materialism,

stating its vision through six main tenets:

 Direct perception as the only means of establishing and accepting any truth
 What cannot be perceived and understood by the senses does not exist
 All that exists are the observable elements of air, earth, fire, and water
 The ultimate good in life is pleasure; the only evil is pain
 Pursuing pleasure and avoiding pain is the sole purpose of human existence
  Religion is an invention of the strong and clever who prey on the weak

The founder is thought to have been a reformer named Brhaspati (l. c. 600 BCE)
who seems to have objected to the power of the priestly class and the hold they
had over the people, especially the lower classes. He is said to have composed a
text on his philosophy, the Brhaspati Sutra, which has long been lost and all that is
known of the philosophy comes from later Hindu, Jain, and Buddhist texts which
refute Brhaspati’s claims.
Charvaka completely rejected the Hindu religious texts known as the Vedas which
were believed by the orthodox to be the words of Brahman, creator of the
universe and the Universe itself. Religious and philosophical schools which
accepted the Vedas were known as astika (“there exists”) while those who
rejected the Vedic vision were known as nastika (“there does not
exist”). Jainism and Buddhism are both considered nastika schools of thought but
Charvaka, also nastika, took the concept further to deny any supernatural
existence or authority whatsoever.
Materialism informs the Arthashastra in its focus on the here-and-now and how a
king must sometimes make what appear to be difficult choices in order to rule
effectively. The concepts the Arthashastra explores were certainly in use prior to
Chandragupta’s reign as they seem to have been integral to his success and most
likely developed through a blending of astika and nastika thought. The precepts of
Chanakya are all eminently practical while also acknowledging the existence of a
higher power who approves of the king’s necessary actions as his dharma (duty)
which must be performed in accordance with his karma (action). Patel breaks
the Arthashastra into seven broad categories all focusing on a king’s success in
foreign and domestic policy and what courses a monarch should be able and
willing to pursue:

 Strategy. Chanakya’s focus is on stable rule and relations with neighboring

states. Much of the book is devoted to political, military, and secret
strategy.
 Subterfuge. When classic or open strategy fails, there are always what
Chanakya refers to as `secret means’. Chanakya discusses poisons and
instigated riots in the same way as he discusses the measurements for
forts.
 Spies. There is a great deal in this book about spies, from courtiers to
wandering lunatics. It is important to understand that Chanakya uses spies
as information gatherers. In another era, there would be other ways of
doing this; at the time of writing, salting spies throughout your culture was
the only reliable way of knowing what was happening anywhere.
 Bureaucracy and Fines. An extensive part of the original document details
the structure of government buildings and rules in minute detail, as well as
specific offenses and fines, both civil and criminal.
 Protection. A ruler of any kind must be conscious of attacks, both against
their person and against their position or kingdom.
 Verification. How do you know who you can trust? This is one of the central
questions of governance and one that Chanakya devotes significant time to.
 Attack. How does one attack an enemy so that long term problems are
avoided? How can one attack a stronger enemy or ascertain their real
intention.