The tunes of the song was resounding in the hall. The fast-paced patriotic song had the audience tapping. The words as well as the music was entralling, one could see. The song being sung was: Hum karen rashtra aaraadhan!

The song also appeared in the televised serial ‘Chankya’ in the early-90s. Chanakya was one of the foremost political thinkers of India. Yet, little is recorded about him. The television serial did a commendable job of portraying the life and times of this magnificent larger-than-life character. He is hardly known outside India although the political thinkers of other countries, like Machiavelli and others are well-known.

Chanakya or Vishnugupt (also Kautilya) rigorously studied The Vedas in the University of Takshashila. Isn’t it surprising that we had the first Universities in the world, Nalanda and Takshashila. And remember readers, we are still talking of nearly ~ 500-400 BC! Takshashila was very well-established as a centre of learning and Panini is believed to have written the Sanskrit Grammar here. Chanakya, in his later years, was a Professor of Political Science at this University (brilliant student, eh). He is believed to have taught with practical examples too. He is of course, most famously, remembered for his role as a king-maker (he was the mentor of Chandragupt Maurya). This was in Magadha, where he was forced to relocate after the political turmoil in Takshashila due to the approach and invasion of the Greeks. His strategic approach in observing and exploiting the weaknesses of his enemies always gave him an edge over them. He wrote three books ‘Arthashastra´, ‘Nitishastra’ and ‘Chanakya Niti’. ‘Nitishastra’ deals with the Indian way of life and ‘Chanakya Niti’ deals with the policies that he believed in and applied.

‘Arthashastra’, the most well-known of his works, is a treatise on economics, national policies, war strategies as well as international relations. It can be considered as the first organised book on economics. The role and duties of the king as well as the administration of the kingdom in terms of management is elucidated here. This book covers a very wide range of aspects regarding the efficient governing of a kingdom. For example, it not only explains how to deals with vices and calamities but also talks about discipline as well as planning of treaties! A book on similar subject yet very different in treatment is ‘The Prince´ by Machiavelli. Machiavelli was a Florentine political philosopher in the 15th century. This book, however, deals with the methods that should be adopted by an aspiring prince or by an ascended prince to maintain his reign. His views were believed to be quite extreme since he propagates the view that tyranny is the best way to maintain stability in the state. Attaining power is given supreme importance, even above morality. Isn’t it interesting to compare these two works spaced by nearly 2000 years!

Yet the world knows Machiavelli. The least we as Indians can do is to bow and remember the legendary personality – Chankaya.