Chanakya, also known as Kautilya, became Chandragupta’s prime minister, and legend describes him as being the author of a book titled Arthashastra. ‘Arthashastra’ means the science of property and material success. This success includes political and diplomatic strategy aimed at uniting India.
According to Kautilya, a ruler should use any means to attain his goal, and his actions required no moral sanction. The only problems discussed are of the most practical kind. Though kings were allowed a free rein, the citizens were subject to a rigid set of rules. Much of our knowledge about the state policy of the Mauryas comes from the Arthashastra, which is a treatise on statecraft, economic policy and military strategy.
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