Ancient Indian statesman traditionally identified as chief minister to the Mauryan emperor Chandragupta, who took power around 300 BCE, and as author of the Arthashastra, a treatise on statecraft, economics and military strategy. Modern scholarship treats the identification and dating cautiously: the surviving text is widely thought to be a composite worked on by multiple hands over several centuries, so its precise authorship and date are debated among historians rather than settled, and no reliably attested birth year exists.
Facts
Classification
Political RoleChief adviser and prime minister 1 Sources
1. Chanakya (Wikipedia)
Lead section, first paragraph
According to these narratives, Chanakya served as the chief adviser and prime minister to both emperors
Wikipedia summary, gender reference sentence
Chanakya, according to legendary narratives preserved in various traditions dating from the 4th to 11th century CE, was a Brahmin who assisted the first Mauryan emperor Chandragupta in his rise to power and the establishment of the Maurya Empire.
Lead section, second sentence
According to these narratives, Chanakya served as the chief adviser and prime minister to both emperors Chandragupta Maurya and his son Bindusara.
View the SourceChanakya (Britannica)
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