Question

Who wrote Arthashastra?
a. Nanda ruler
b. Chandragupta
c. Chanakya
d. A Greek invader

Answer 1

Hint: Arthashastra was written by the great scholar behind the establishment of the Magadha empire.

Complete answer:
The Arthashastra is a famous book on statecraft, written by the famous philosopher Chanakya, also known as Kautilya. Hence, option C is the correct option.

Additional Information:
Chanakya: Chanakya, also known as Kautilya, was the Prime Minister to the king Chandragupta Maurya. Although Chandragupta Maurya is regarded as the founder of the Mauryan empire, Chanakya was the mastermind behind the establishment of the empire.
Arthashastra: The word ‘Arthashstra’ has been derived from two words ‘Artha’ meaning goal or aim and ‘Shastra’ meaning treatise. The idea behind the title was derived from Hinduism, where Artha is regarded as the primary goal of every human being in order to achieve social status and wealth and from the preachings of Charvaka, wherein a materialistic view of human existence is given primacy. It was originally written in Sanskrit.
The book deals with various aspects of statecraft that must be taken into consideration by a monarch in order to be able to rule his subjects effectively. It deals with economic, military strategy, social organization etc. concerning a State. The book is considered relevant even in the administration of modern State.

Note: Do not confuse Chanakya to Chandragupta Maurya due to the fact that they correspond to the same period of time as the writing of Arthashastra and also connected to the Mauryan empire.