Ancient Indian Education: An Inquiry into its Origin, Development, and Ideals c5.24

c5.24

The Arthaśāstra of Kauṭilya¹ is ascribed to Kauṭilya, also known as Chānakya, the Brāhman who overthrew the Nanda dynasty and placed Chandragupta Maurya on the throne. If he was the author, the work would be dated somewhere between 321 and 296 B.C. The authenticity,² however, has been disputed, and the book may have been based on the teaching of Kauṭilya, although not by his hand, and belong in its present form perhaps to the first century B.C., while incorporating older matter. In any case it is a remarkable document, and throws a most valuable light on the system of administration and social life at the time of the Mauryan Empire. It is a manual of political science, Machiavellian in its principles, for the use of kings, and amongst other things outlines an educational programme for royal princes.