Chapter 5

Chanakya - Architect of a
Greater India

Glimpses of glorious India

Amrita School of Engineering
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham

By
Shakunthala
EEE department
 Chapter 5
Chanakya - Architect of a Greater
India
 What cultural
significance lies
behind Acharya
Vishnugupta's act of
extinguishing one
lamp and lighting
another when
receiving a visitor at
dusk?
 At dusk, a foreigner visited his home; Acharya Vishnugupta courteously gestured him to
sit down and continued what he was writing. There are disputing claims as to who that
Why did you visitor was: some claim it to be Megasthenes, a Greek historian and explorer who visited
India, while others say it was a Chinese traveler.
extinguish one lamp After finishing his writing, Vishnugupta wrapped the manuscript in silk, tied the bundle
with a string, lit another lamp, and extinguished the flame of the first lamp. He then
and light another? inquired about the visitor’s welfare. Perplexed by what Vishnugupta had just done, the
visitor humbly asked, “Why did you extinguish one lamp and light another? Is it some kind
of Indian tradition associated with receiving guests cordially?”
 What timeless
wisdom did
Acharya
Vishnugupta
impart to his
visitor over 2,300
years ago, and
why is it still
relevant today?
Maintain honesty

Even though this happened over

2,300 years ago, Acharya
Vishnugupta's response to his
visitor remains significant today.
He explained that when the
visitor arrived, he was working on
official documents using
government resources. To
maintain honesty, he lit a new
lamp using his personal funds to
continue their conversation.
 Why is Section 403
IPC important in
Indian criminal law,
and how does it help
protect property
rights by dealing with
cases of dishonestly
taking someone else's
property?
USE OF GOVERNMENT RESOURCES

Even though this event occurred around 2,300

years ago, Vishnugupta's response to the visitor
remains relevant and valuable today. He
explained, "My dear friend, it's not a tradition.
When you entered my home, I was working on
official documents for my kingdom. The oil for the
first lamp was provided by the government
treasury, indicating official duty. However, now
that I'm conversing with you, it's likely for
personal reasons. Using government resources
for personal matters is dishonest. So, to speak
with you, I lit another lamp using oil bought with
my personal funds.“
** Sеction 403 IPC is usеd to addrеss casеs
involving thе wrongful taking of somеonе еlsе’s
propеrty with dishonеst intеntions. It is a
fundamеntal provision in Indian criminal law that
hеlps protеct propеrty rights.
 What roles did
Chanakya play in
ancient India, and
where did he start his
career as a professor
before serving as an
adviser to the Maurya
emperor
Chandragupta?
 Chanakya was an Indian teacher, philosopher, and royal
adviser for the first Maurya emperor Chandragupta.
Who is Chanakya of He was initially a professor of economics and political
ancient India? science at the ancient Takshashila University in
Takshashila (in present day it is in Pakistan)
Why is Chanakya
referred to as the
kingmaker and
leader?
 This is one of many popular stories about Vishnugupta, popular today as ‘Chanakya,’ who
prioritized National affairs more than personal matters.

Chanakya, the Around BCE 316, the landmass stretching from the eastern mountain ranges in Myanmar to
the western Persian deserts and from the Himalayas in the north to the Vindhyas in the South
came under the rule of a single mighty ruler, Chandragupta Maurya.
kingmaker and leader When we read about this emperor from the annals of history, let us not forget Chanakya, the
kingmaker and leader of ancient Indian statecraft, who raised an ordinary lad to the level of a
mighty emperor.
 What are the primary
sources of information
about Vishnugupta's
life, and what languages
were these sources
written in?
 The sources of information on Vishnugupta's life include
The sources of Mahavamsha, a Buddhist text composed in the Pali language;
Parishishtaparvan, an ancient Sanskrit text about Jain masters; the
information Kathasaritsagara, a compendium of Kashmiri legends in Sanskrit;
and Mudrarakshasa, a Sanskrit play.
 Why was Vishnugupta
known as 'Chanakya,'
and what were his
beliefs about the role of
a teacher in awakening
students' pride and love
for their country?
Vishnugupta's life

Vishnugupta, also known as Chanakya,

was named after his father, Rishi
Chanaka. He studied at Takshashila, a
prestigious ancient university, and later
became a teacher there.
Chanakya believed that a teacher's
true success was in instilling pride and
love for the country in their students.
What circumstances led
Chanakya to resign from
Takshashila and travel to
Pataliputra, the capital of
the Magadha Empire
during the reign of the
Nanda dynasty?
Why Chanakya resigned
from Takshashila?
During the rule of the Nanda
dynasty in Magadha, King Dhana
Nanda focused solely on
accumulating wealth and enjoying
a lavish lifestyle, often imposing
unjust taxes on his subjects. At this
time, Seleucus, a Greek general,
prepared to attack India's
northeastern regions, previously
conquered by Alexander.
Concerned about both internal
and external security threats,
Chanakya left Takshashila and
traveled to Pataliputra, the capital
of Magadha, to discuss(advise)
with the king.
 How did Acharya
Chanakya react to his
disappointing meeting
with King Dhana
Nanda, and what vow
did he take in response
to the insult he
endured in the royal
court?
 His meeting with Dhana Nanda was a great disappointment. The
Meeting with Dhana king insulted Chanakya in front of everyone in the royal court and
dismissed him. Acharya Chanakya untied his hair tuft and took a
Nanda terrible vow, “I will tie my hair again only after putting an end to
the rule of Dhana Nanda, who is steeped in sensual pleasures.”
 How did Chanakya escape
from the royal army and
decide to overthrow the
king? Also, how did he meet
Chandragupta, and what
qualities did he see in him
that made him believe
Chandragupta could
become a great ruler?
Chanakya: The
king maker
Chanakya escaped from the royal army that
followed him by disguising himself. He also
started contemplating the means to depose
the king and bring a responsible person to
the throne.
Hence, he started looking for people
endowed with qualities needed for ruling
the kingdom and in turn met a boy named
Chandragupta who was imbued with a
strong sense of Dharma.
The boy and his friends were enacting a
scene from the royal court. Playing the role
of king, Chandragupta was admirably
pointing out injustices in the kingdom and
stressing the need to implement dharmic
policies to deal with these wrongs.
Impressed by this, Chanakya adopted
Chandragupta, promising to make him a
real king. Over time, the teacher ignited the
flames of dharmic consciousness in the
student into a raging firestorm that
eventually knocked down the Nanda
dynasty.
 How did Chandragupta
and Chanakya contribute
to the establishment of
the Maurya Empire, and
what were the key
factors in their success?
The Nanda dynasty was
overthrown by
Chandragupta Maurya,

Chandragupta learnt the arts of warfare and

governance from Chanakya, and formed an
army of robust and intelligent young men.
Though initial attempts at overthrowing
Dhana Nanda failed, as a result of tireless
efforts and Chanakya’s brilliant strategies,
Chandragupta eventually overthrew the king
and took over the throne of Magadha.
During the rest of his reign, both the disciple
and the Master worked tirelessly to expand
the empire and unify the princely states. As
a result of their concerted efforts,
Chandragupta’s empire spanned the whole
of India except for a small strip of land in the
South. Thus, the Maurya Empire, the
greatest empire that India has ever seen,
was established.
 What were
Chanakya's main
contributions during
this time, especially
related to his
writings?
 It must have been around this time that Chanakya wrote two seminal texts, Artha Shastra
(economics) and Neeti Shastra (aphorisms on ethics), under the pen name of Kautilya.
Who wrote the books named Artha shastra clearly explains the relevance of Artha (wealth), one of the four
Arthashastra and Chanakya Purushartha's (goals of life), viz. Artha, Kama (fulfillment of desires), dharma and moksha
Neethishastra and what are its (spiritual liberation). This book is divided into two parts. The first deals with the
governance of the country and the second with foreign affairs. The book systematically
importance? considers issues on national security, bilateral relations, war strategies, taxation and other
matters with which we are familiar today.
 What are the main
teachings of
Chanakya's Neetisastra
that promote a
balanced and
harmonious lifestyle?
What is Chanakaya Niti Shastra?

• Chanakya’s Neetisastra is a
treatise on the ideal way of life;
it shows his in-depth knowledge
of a harmonious way of life.
• Given below is a selection of
verses from Chanakya’s
Neetisastra.
• The language is simple and easy
to follow.
• The verses contain a wealth of
wisdom and practical advice for
success in life that can be
followed by anyone.
 How does Neeti Shastra
continue to offer timeless
guidance for ethical decision-
making in modern times, and
how does Chanakya's story
portray him as a visionary
architect of a unified and
prosperous India rather than
just a strategist seeking
revenge?
Architect of Greater
India

Neeti Shastra equips one to make judicious and

ethical decisions on day-to-day matters. Apart
from some things that have changed over time,
the text remains relevant even after two
millennia and continues to shed its light of
wisdom for political leaders today.
One should never think that the story of
Chanakya was about a shrewd person who
avenged an insult from a king. King, insult, tuft
and vow — all these were just expedients.
Chanakya’s story is about an extraordinary
genius who fulfilled the national dream of
uniting numerous princely states sharing the
same culture to create an undivided and
developed India based on Dharma. He was an
Architect of Greater India.
 लोकः समस्तः सुखिनो भवन््ु

Namah Shivaya