Chanakya: the Master of Statecraft

by Deepa Agarwal

Based on life of Kauṭalya meant for teenaged 10+ children.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, India

165 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2013

About the author

When I was a young girl, growing up in a town where there were only two streets, I never thought I'd become a writer. But I was an avid reader who kept winning prizes for writing. And the time came when I found that I had lots to write about. That my own life was as full of stories as those other people shared with me. Also, that writing was a kind of therapy that gave meaning to my existence.

Reviews

[Omkar Shetkar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read to know life and times of Chanakya. Gives an idea of accomplishments of Chanakya.

[Bharath S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I, Chanakya, vow not to tie my hair until I unseat you from the throne of Magadha", Chanakya fumes at Dhana Nanda when he is humiliated in the public gathering at court by him. Anger is his weakness; strategy is his strength.

We all know that Chanakya was the greatest kingmaker ever in history. How he became one by dethroning Dhana Nanda - and building the Mauryan Empire which eventually became the most prosperous and largest empires that even Alexander feared to confront?

I was always curious to know the behind story of it.

Where exactly did he find Chandragupta Maurya? What qualities of Chandragupta attracted him as the right choice to make him the king of Magadha? What strategies did he employ to dethrone mighty Dhana Nandha?

This book fed me with all the answers. The beauty of this book is its simple language & narrative structure. Though, at a few points, you feel certain events should have been pretty elaborative & descriptive. Which makes it feel like an abridged version. Overall, the author has stitched a simple & elegant narrative from the folklore & history texts.

If you really wanna understand Chanakya's revenge story against Dhana Nanda & the events that made him the greatest kingmaker in history. Give it a read.

[A · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved the way the book progresses through the eyes of Vishnugupta Chanakya, tracing the vow against Nandas to the rise of our magnaminous Hero, stretching all the way to the reign of Ashoka. Threads of small stories, legends, and political strategies are taken and woven together, making it such a beautiful book to read and get intrigued about the mastermind behind the Mauryan Empire.
​What I hated about the book was its simplicity—the prose feels a bit too elementary at times for a figure as complex as Kautilya.
One the contrary what I absolutely loved were the small sections of notes and historical pointers she has added to make the context more relevant and informative including ancient politics, and historical facts, referral plays, scripts and books.

[Raman Sihag · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is almost a kind of biography of Chanakya. Very engaging book. I am sure if one picks and read even a single chapter, either he will shelve it (of course I doubt if somebody do that) or read entirely in one go.
In between we get glimpses of Chanakya mindset.

[Amit Dayal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book was an easy read and the story flowed easily. I can’t vouch for the accuracy with historical facts.

[Shivani · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved its simplicity and interesting read!

[Sarthak Bagde · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amazing book. Good for beginners. Simple language, easy to grasp and many things which you can Learn from it. Definitely recommend this book who are just starting to "Read"

[Nikitha Venkatragavan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book. It is a very good book. Easy to understand and good for Historophiles...

[Deepa Agarwal · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the learned Brahmin Vishnugupta is humiliated by the arrogant king Dhana Nanda in a public gathering, he vows revenge. He goes on to become the best known kingmaker in Indian history: Chanakya. Using a combination of cunning, ruthlessness and luck, Chanakya fulfills his vow and propels a boy of unknown origins,Chandragupta Maurya on to the throne of Magadha, thus founding the famous Mauryan empire.
This fascinating account shows how Chanakya went from penniless fugitive to the prime minister of Magadha and the author of the Arthashastra, seminal work on statecraft.