History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c28.s2.14

v1.c28.s2.14

Kautilya *Arthaśāstra* is the earliest known dated work of the ancient Hindus. The life of the people and their agriculture including fisheries science during the Buddhist period and in the Magadhan empire are well documented in it. Then we have Jātaka stories which tell us about the previous incarnations of Lord Buddha, the sculptures of the railings and gateways of the stupas of Bharhut and Sanci. The Nanda dynasty was over-thrown by Candragupta Maurya in 325 B.C. whose chief adviser was Kauṭilya, also known as Cāṇakya or Viṣṇugupta. He was the author of the Arthaśāstra.