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88 pages

English

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I, Chanakya, vow not to bind my hair until I have unseated you from the throne of Magadha. When learned Brahmin Vishnugupta is humiliated by arrogant king Dhana Nanda in a public gathering, he swears revenge. Anger is his weakness, but strategy, his strength. This formerly unknown Brahmin goes on to become the most well-known kingmaker in Indian history: Chanakya. Using a combination of cunning, ruthlessness and luck, Chanakya fulfils his vow and propels a boy of unknown origins, Chandragupta Maurya, to the throne of the most powerful kingdom of that time, an empire even Alexander the Great hesitated to confront. This fascinating account shows how Chanakya went from being a penniless fugitive with the rebel prince of Pataliputra to the prime minister of Magadha, and finally the author of the groundbreaking Arthashastra. With fun snippets and lesser-known facts about this remarkable statesman and the Mauryan age, this book promises to be an exciting and gripping adventure story.

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Children's

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Publié par	Penguin Books Ltd
Date de parution	15 mai 2013
Nombre de lectures	1
EAN13	9788184759907
Langue	English

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DEEPA AGARWAL

CHANAKYA

THE MASTER OF STATECRAFT

PUFFIN BOOKS
Contents

About the Author
By the Same Author
Chapter One The Insult
Chapter Two Escape!
Chapter Three Flight
Chapter Four A Significant Encounter
Chapter Five The Treasure
Chapter Six Chandragupta
Chapter Seven On the Brink of a New Life
Chapter Eight The Road to Takshashila
Chapter Nine The Kingly Path
Chapter Ten Grooming a Monarch
Chapter Eleven The Greeks
Chapter Twelve An Unexpected Turn
Chapter Thirteen King Ambhi s Threat
Chapter Fourteen A Historic Battle
Chapter Fifteen Preparing for War
Chapter Sixteen Disappointment
Chapter Seventeen Forging an Alliance
Chapter Eighteen Chanakya the Tactician
Chapter Nineteen The Conquest of Pataliputra
Chapter Twenty The End of the Nandas
Chapter Twenty-One Emperor of Magadha
Chapter Twenty-Two A Terrible Challenge
Chapter Twenty-Three Vanquishing the Greeks
Chapter Twenty-Four Chandragupta Abdicates
Chapter Twenty-Five Emperor Bindusara
Chapter Twenty-Six A Huge Loss
Chapter Twenty-Seven The Beginning of the End
Chapter Twenty-Eight The Truth
Chapter Twenty-Nine Chanakya s End
Trivia Treasury
Footnotes
13 King Ambhi s Threat
25 Emperor Bindusara
Chanakya s Sayings
Follow Penguin
Copyright
PUFFIN BOOKS CHANAKYA
Author, poet and translator, Deepa Agarwal writes for both children and adults and has published about fifty books. She has received, among others, the NCERT National Award for Children s Literature for her picture book Ashok s New Friends , while her historical fiction Caravan to Tibet featured in the IBBY Honour List 2008. Five of her books have been listed in the White Raven Catalogue of the International Youth Library, Munich. She is a regular contributor to children s magazines in India and abroad, and her stories have appeared in many anthologies and school textbooks. Her recent titles include Rajula and the Web of Danger and The Game of Shadows .
Deepa conducts workshops and storytelling sessions in schools. As founder-organizer of the Habitat Children s Book Forum in New Delhi, she plays an active role in promoting the habit of reading.
Other books in the Puffin Lives series
Rani Lakshmibai: The Valiant Queen of Jhansi by Deepa Agarwal Ashoka: The Great and Compassionate King by Subhadra Sen Gupta Subhas Chandra Bose: The Great Freedom Fighter by Anu Kumar Mother Teresa: Apostle of Love by Rukmini Chawla Mahatma Gandhi: The Father of the Nation by Subhadra Sen Gupta The 14th Dalai Lama: Buddha of Compassion by Aravinda Anantharaman Rabindranath Tagore: The Renaissance Man by Monideepa Sahu
1
The Insult

Pataliputra. Around 330 BCE .
Vishnugupta entered the court of Dhana Nanda, the mighty ruler of Magadha, taut with expectancy. The king was hosting a special assembly and over the last few days, scores of learned Brahmins had been thronging his capital city, Pataliputra. They had come from all over Bharatvarsha to display their mastery of the Vedas and religious discourse, expecting rich rewards from the most powerful monarch in the whole of Jambudweep. The place resounded with their voices. Vishnugupta, also known as Chanakya and Kautilya, had made the gruelling journey from distant Takshashila with the same hope.
He glanced around the vast hall, magnificently decorated with murals. Fragrance from garlands of juhi and champa, twined around its numerous pillars, filled his nostrils. A grand welcome indeed! Notorious as a tyrant who had amassed enormous wealth by taxing his subjects mercilessly, Dhana Nanda seemed eager to redeem himself as a patron of learning and a philanthropist.
The golden throne of the Nandas was visible at the other end of the vast hall. It was flanked by mace bearers, holding their massive silver staffs aloft, but the king was yet to appear. On its right, a raised platform had been set up that ran down the length of the hall. Some of the shastris had assumed their places on the cushioned seats placed on it. It was easy to distinguish them from the courtiers, who occupied a platform on the other side. The shastris white garments were similar to his, as were the streaks of sandalwood paste on their foreheads and their shikhas , knotted strands of hair that crowned their clean-shaven heads.
Chanakya paused to locate a vacant seat he could occupy. Low wooden stools had been placed in rows on the ground beneath the platform as well, and some of the Brahmins had begun to squat on them. But was it appropriate for a man of his learning and stature to sit among scholars like these, obviously semi-educated?
His wandering gaze fell on an empty place, not too far from the throne. The anxious lines vanished from his brow as he swiftly made his way towards it, folding his hands to the men he passed. He did notice a couple of astonished faces turning towards him but ignored them. He was quite accustomed to the rude stares his dark, pockmarked skin and unattractive features often evoked.
As he was seating himself, the man next to him opened his mouth to say something. Before he could, however, the blare of ransingha trumpets filled the air, accompanied by drumbeats and the tramp of marching feet.
Dhana Nanda was arriving. Everyone rose, bowed their heads and folded their hands as the king s retinue of women guards swept in.
Resplendent in his fine silk antariya or lower garment, his intricately embroidered uttariya draped over his chest, with strings of priceless pearls adorning his neck and a huge emerald gleaming in his turban, the king inclined his head slightly to acknowledge the homage. Slowly, ponderously, he took his seat on his magnificent jewel-encrusted throne. The guards assumed their places around him.
As Dhana Nanda s eyes travelled over the rows of Brahmins gathered in the hall, a smug expression spread over his face. He nodded to his prime minister, who rose to address the gathering.
Benevolent, all-powerful Majesty, most wise and learned shastris, respected noblemen of the court, we are greatly honoured that our mighty Maharajadhiraj Dhana Nanda has seen fit to host this conference. Such an assembly of scholars has never been seen before in the whole of Bharatvarsha-
One moment, Siddhaketuji! Dhana Nanda interrupted.
A wave of startled faces turned towards the throne. Chanakya was puzzled to find the king s gaze fixed on him. A furious frown corrugated Dhana Nanda s brow. The words that followed were an even bigger shock.
Who is this hideous upstart? Dhana Nanda thundered. Who allowed him to sit on the raj purohit s seat without my permission? Remove him immediately!
The other Brahmins glanced at each other in dismay. Chanakya could well guess what was passing through their minds. The height of disrespect! It was the duty of kings, no matter how powerful, to address all members of their caste with courtesy, and they mostly did so. But who did not know about Dhana Nanda s foul temper, his autocratic nature? To protest would be as dangerous as putting one s hand in a nest of snakes. Hence, no one spoke up.
The king s guards began to step forward to fulfil his command. However, Chanakya had already sprung to his feet. O King, you dare to insult a learned Brahmin! he cried, pointing an admonishing finger at the ruler. Intoxicated by power, you have lost your sense of correct and appropriate behaviour. He paused for a moment, his chest heaving with emotion, then lowered his tone to add: This affront will have consequences beyond your imagination!
The horrified courtiers started up. Even as they watched, in a swift movement, Chanakya clawed his shikha open. His face was twisted with rage-a rage that mirrored Dhana Nanda s.
He shook his hair loose and let it stream down his neck, exposing a set of crooked teeth as he snarled, I, Chanakya, vow not to bind my hair until I have unseated you from the throne of Magadha. Holding his dhoti, he then stepped down from the platform and began to stride towards the entrance. The shocked Brahmins parted ranks to make way for him, wringing their hands and gesturing to each other.
Dhana Nanda was stunned into silence. For a few moments, he could only glare at the receding figure with angry red eyes, as if he could not believe his ears. Then a shiver ran down the court as he raised a clenched fist. His familiar roar resounded through the vast hall.
Seize the scoundrel! He will learn what it means to cross swords with Dhana Nanda!
The guards sprang from their posts. But the Brahmin had the advantage. By the time the king had recovered from his astonishment, Chanakya had stepped out of the door.

In the Mauryan period, both men and women dressed in three unstitched garments, similar to Vedic times. The main dress was the antariya, made of white cotton, linen or flowered muslin, sometimes embroidered with gold and precious stones. Men wore it draped around the hips and between the legs, like a dhoti. Women wore it in a similar style, or wrapped around like a lehanga as well. The antariya was secured at the waist by a sash or kayabandh. The third item of clothing, the uttariya, was another length of fabric, usually fine cotton, occasionally rarely silk, used as a long scarf to cover the top half of the body. Wealthier people wore a variety of jewellery as well.
2
Escape!

Who was this Vishnugupta, the man who dared to admonish the tyrant Dhana Nanda? Also called Chanakya after his learned father Acharya Chanak, it is said that he was brilliant even as a child. After personally educating him, the acharya sent him to the famous University of Takshashila to study further. Takshashila was the leading centre of knowledge at that time, and the teachers were all considered authorities in their subjects. Besides the Vedas, the eighteen silpas or arts, which included skills such as archery, hunting and elephant lore, were taught there, in addition to economics, law, medicine and military science. Many students came to Takshas