What is "chanakya"

Chanakya ( IAST: ; ; flourished c. 4th century BCE) was an Indian teacher, philosopher, economist, jurist and royal advisor. He is traditionally identified as Kauṭilya or Vishnu Gupta, who authored the ancient Indian political treatise, the Arthashastra. As such, he is considered the pioneer of the field of political science and economics in India, and his work is thought of as an important precursor to classical economics. His works were lost near the end of the Gupta Empire and not rediscovered until 1915.

Chanakya assisted the first Mauryan emperor Chandragupta in his rise to power. He is widely credited for having played an important role in the establishment of the Maurya Empire. Chanakya served as the chief advisor to both emperors Chandragupta and his son Bindusara.

Chanakya ( Devanagari: चाणक्य) is a 47-part epic Indian television historical drama written and directed by Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi that was originally telecast on DD National from 8 September 1991 to 9 August 1992. Produced by Prakash Dwivedi, the series is a fictionalized account of the life and times of 4th century BCE Indian economist, strategist and political theorist Chanakya (also known as Vishnugupta) and is based on events occurring between 340 BCE and 321/20 BCE, starting with Chanakya's boyhood and culminating in the coronation of Chandragupta Maurya. Chandraprakash Dwivedi played the title role of Chanakya.

The series is divided into three major parts:

• The early life of Vishnugupta in the kingdom of Magadha and the circumstances leading to his self-imposed exile, particularly the persecution (and subsequent death) of his father at the hands of Dhanananda, King of Magadha.
• The invasion of northwestern India by Alexander, his death and the rebellion led by native Indian kingdoms under the leadership of Chandragupta Maurya against Alexander's successors in India. The Greek invaders are defeated.
• The attack on and overthrow of the Nanda rule in Magadha and the crowning of Chandragupta as the King of Magadha.

Within this framework, Dwivedi portrays the politics and backstabbing that governed relations between kings and officials of that time. He covers the workings of the early Indian republics and the way of life of ordinary Indians.

Chanakya is critically acclaimed and has been hailed as a "milestone on Indian television." At the same time, it has been the subject of political controversy. It has been televised in many countries around the world and has won five Uptron Awards. The series was widely praised for its authenticity, casting and grandeur.

Chanakya is a Tamil language film released in 2005. It starred Sarath Kumar and Namitha in the lead roles.

Chanakya (c. 370–283 BCE) was an adviser of the first Maurya Emperor Chandragupta.

Chanakya may also refer to:

• Chanakya Chandragupta, a 1977 Telugu film
• Chanakya's Chant, a novel written by Indian author Ashwin Sanghi
• Chanakya (film), a 2005 Tamil language film
• Chanakya Institute of Public Leadership, the first of its kind public leadership training institute in India
• Chanakya National Law University, a legal education institution in Bihar
• Chanakya Shapadham, a 1986 Telugu film directed by K. Raghavendra Rao.
• Chanakya (TV series), an Indian television historical drama written and directed by Dr. Chandraprakash Dwivedi
• Chanakyapuri, an affluent neighborhood in New Delhi

Chanakya (Kannada: ಚಾಣಕ್ಯ) is a 1984 Indian Kannada film, directed by V. Somashekhar and produced by M. D. Sundar. The film stars Vishnuvardhan, Madhavi, Vajramuni and Shivaram in lead roles. The film had musical score by Chellapilla Satyam.