From net:
Kautilya (also known as Chanakya, c. 350–283 BC), a philosopher, jurist, teacher, economist and royal advisor widely credited for having played an important role in the establishment of the Maurya Empire, which was the first empire in archaeologically recorded history to rule most of the Indian subcontinent.
His social aphorisms and radical political treatise – The Arthashastra – shares commonalities with The Prince and The Art Of War, and has garnered contemporary spotlight in The 48 Laws Of Power – also eliciting comparisons with the likes of Machiavelli.
Henry Kissinger in his book World Order calls it as “a combination of Machiavelli and Clausewitz” that lays out the requirements of power, which is the “dominant reality” in politics: containing a realist vision of politics long before the Prince – while German sociologist Max Weber once called it “truly radical ‘Machiavellianism’…compared to it, Machiavelli’s The Prince is harmless.”
Kautilya’s treatises also offer much wisdom on various topics besides statecraft.
Kautilya’s harsh political realism and wisdom echoes ancient truths which have been espoused by many other great men of different cultures throughout history.