Who was also called ‘Indian Machiavelli’?

Question

Question

Answer 1

The correct answer is Kautilya.

Key Points

Kautilya was also called ‘Indian Machiavelli’.
Arthasastra a book on economy and polity in Sanskrit was written by Kautilya, a contemporary of Chandragupta Maurya.
The manuscript of Arthasastra was first discovered by R. Shama Sastri in 1905.
Niccolò di Bernardo dei Machiavelli was an Italian diplomat, philosopher, politician, historian, and writer.
He is called the father of modern political philosophy and political science.
The Prince (Il Principe) was the famous book of Machiavelli written in 1513 A.D.

Additional Information

Vishakhadatta
- The Mudrarakshasa was the drama written by Vishakhadatta in Sanskrit.
- It gives an account on the socio-economic condition under the Mauryas.
Megasthenes:
- Megasthenes was the Greek ambassador in the court of Chandragupta Maurya.
- He wrote Indica which gives a detailed account about the Mauryan administration, particularly the administration of the capital city of Pataliputra and also the military organization.
Chandragupta Maurya (322 – 298 B.C.):
- Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the Mauryan Empire.
- Chandragupta embraced Jainism towards the end of his life.
- He went to Sravana Belgola, near Mysore along with Jain monks led by Bhadrabhahu and starved himself to death.