WHERE DOES CHANAKYA STAND IN HISTORY ?

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WHERE DOES CHANAKYA STAND IN HISTORY ?

The centuries to come and the centuries that went by, are recorded

in history talking of the great men and legendary characters who

shaped time through their vision and exemplary actions. Chanakya,

perhaps is the only personality who has been accepted and revered as

a genius both by Indian and Western scholars. He is a historical

milestone in the making of India amidst tremendous upheavals and

myriad's of reversals. Celebrated as a shrewd statesman and a

ruthless administrator, he comes across as the greatest of diplomats

of the world. He had the guts to speak his heart out even in front

of the rulers, which shows his strong inclination to democratic

values and the audacity to put his views through. Although, he lived

around the third century BC, his ideas and principles show

concurrence and validity in the present day world. Politics was his

forte. Diplomacy in a politically charged environment shows his self-

confidence and the ability to stay calm in trying situations.

 

His foresight and wide knowledge coupled with politics of expediency

founded the mighty Mauryan Empire in India. He was a great laureate

of economics with a glittering intellect to perceive the intricate

dynamics of the various economic activities and principles.

 

The centuries that succeeded him show distinct effects of his

thoughts on the way a kingdom is managed and other facets of

economic administration. Even today, one of his maxims on taxation

is very much alive and calls for adherence by the governments of the

world. According to Chanakya, "Taxation should not be a painful

process for the people. There should be leniency and caution while

deciding the tax structure. Ideally, governments should collect

taxes like a honeybee, which sucks just the right amount of honey

from the flower so that both can survive. Taxes should be collected

in small and not in large proportions".

 

Chanakya, apart from being a man of wisdom and unfailing strategies,

propounded Nitishastra, the ideal way of living for every individual

of the society. He looked at the country like a person surrounded by

problems. He worked at the total annihilation of problems by the

roots. The re-appearance of troubles only shows its growth. His

contribution to foreign policy in the present day world is immense.

Universities teach his principles to aspiring foreign policy experts

showing the infallability of his principles. Chanakya's art of

diplomacy is well known across India and practiced in the areas of

defence, strategy formation and foreign relations.

 

Quite remarkably, long before Clausewitz came up with the quote,

which said "War is only the continuance of state policy by other

means", Chanakya had already written it in his book `Chanakyaniti'.

Most of his views were so farsighted that they appeared to be

prophesies. Talking on diverse subjects such as corruption, he

commented very rightly, "It's just as difficult to detect an

official's dishonesty as it is to discover how much water is drunk

by the swimming fish".

 

As a person, Chanakya has been described variously, as a saint, as

a `ruthless administrator', as the `king maker', a devoted

nationalist, a selfless ascetic and a person devoid of all morals.

He created controversy by saying `The ends justify the means' and

the ruler should use any means to attain his goals and his actions

required no moral sanctions. All his written works

namely, `Arthashastra', `Nitishastra' and `Chanakyaniti' were unique

because of their rational approach and an unabashed advocacy of real

politic. His views were dimensionally novel. He recommended even

espionage and the liberal use of provocative agents as machineries

of the state. In politics, he even attested the use of false

accusations and killings by a king's secret agent without any

ambiguities. The observance of morals and ethics was secondary to

the interests of the ruler. Some of his stark views made him into an

ambivalent personality for the world.

 

This great statesman and philosopher has been often compared to

Machiavelli, Aristotle and Plato, exemplifying his potentiality and

influential status. He has been criticized for his ruthlessness and

trickery and praised for his profound political wisdom. Chanakya,

the timeless man, was in pursuit of truth fearlessly 2000 years ago

and was proved right with Vivekanand's words, "Arise, Awake, Sleep

not till the goal is reached".