Which emperor had kautilya as his chief advisor?

Answer 1

Kautilya (also known as Kautalya, Canakya, Chanakya, or Visnugupta) (active c.300 bc). Hindu statesman, philosopher, and writer of the Arthasastra, the classic ancient Hindu political text. Kautilya was the PM and chief political adviser to Chandragupta, ruler of the Magadha empire from 320 bc to c.297 bc. Under Kautilya's guidance, Chandragupta consolidated his dynasty, defeated Seleucos Nicator's attempt to claim the heritage of alexander-the-great'the Great' in India, and expanded his empire. However, Kautilya is more important for the political theories expounded in the Arthasastra.

The central idea of Kautilya's doctrine was the prosperity of king and country and the king's struggle for victory against his rival neighbouring states. The king had to try to defeat one after another of his enemies. Kautilya identified seven factors of power, which affected his ability to do so. These factors were first, the qualities of the king, then of his ministers, his provinces, his city, his treasure, his army, and his allies. The aim of the Arthasastrawas to instruct the king on how to improve the qualities of these factors and undermine those of his enemies. He provided detailed instruction for spies and agents and showed great understanding of the weakness of human nature, earning himself comparison with niccolo-machiavelli.

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