Artha Shastra

The Arthashastra is an Indian treatise on politics, economics, military strategy, the function of the state, and social organization attributed to the philosopher and Prime Minister Kautilya (also known as Chanakya, Vishnugupta, l. c. 350-275 BCE) who was instrumental in establishing the reign of the great king Chandragupta Maurya (r. c. 321-c.297 BCE), founder of the Maurya Empire(322-185 BCE). The Arthashastra is thought to have been written by Kautilya as a kind of handbook for Chandragupta instructing him on how to reign over a kingdom and encouraging direct action in addressing political concerns without regard for ethical considerations.