Chanakya

Chanakya helped Chandragupta, the founder of the Mauryan dynasty, in gaining the throne of the Nandas. According to many scholars, Chandragupta's success as a king can be ascribed to Chanakya's advice and guidance.

According to Chanakya, the king at the time of coronation had to take an oath of service to the people. If the king misbehaved, his people had the: right to remove and replace him.

Kautilya's Arthashastra is a book on public administration. It discusses the duties as well as the rights of kings, ministers and other officers. It lays down the details on the various affairs of the state, of trade and commerce, of law, of war and peace, of diplomacy, of marriage and divorce, and of military strategy. Arthashastra still remains an excellent textbook of political diplomacy.

The story retold here is inspired by the classic Sanskrit play Mudra Rakshasam (The signet ring) written in the 9th Century A. D. by Vishakhadatta of Pataliputra which is believed to be the city of Patna today.