Who wrote the Mauryan period book Arthashastra?

The correct answer is Vishnu Gupta.Key Points

• Vishnu Gupta, also known as Chanakya or Kautilya, wrote the Arthashastra during the Mauryan period.
• The Arthashastra is an ancient Indian text that discusses statecraft, economic policy, and military strategy.
• Kautilya is traditionally credited as the author of the text and he wrote it as a kind of handbook for kings, specifically for Chandragupta Maurya.
• The text extensively covers topics like administration, foreign policy, law, civil duties, punishments, espionage, and the science of warfare.
• Although it advises on the ruthless pragmatism necessary for ruling a state, it also counsels rulers to rule with righteousness and justice.
• The Arthashastra remains one of the key references for scholars studying ancient Indian polity.​

 Additional Information

• Bindusara:
  • Bindusara was the second Mauryan emperor of India and ruled between 297 BCE and 273 BCE.
  • He was the son of Chandragupta Maurya, the founder of the Mauryan Empire, and the father of Emperor Ashoka.
  • Bindusara extended the Mauryan Empire to the southern part of India.
  • It is said that he was named Bindusara because his birth was attended by a prosperous drop (bindu) of sacred blood.
  • Bindusara was a follower of Buddhism and supposedly received a philosopher's shadow from Hellenistic Greece, which was regarded as a cure for the suppression of the people.
• Chandragupta Maurya:
  • Chandragupta Maurya was the founder of the Maurya Empire in ancient India and was the first emperor to unify most of India under one administration.
  • He ruled from 321 BCE until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favour of his son, Bindusara, in 297 BCE.
  • Chandragupta Maurya’s life and accomplishments are described in ancient Greek and Sanskrit literature.
  • His reign was notable for its significant military, political, and administrative achievements.
  • Toward the end of his life, Chandragupta embraced the teachings of Jainism, renounced his throne, and reportedly starved himself to death in a southern Indian cave.
• Bhanugupta:
  • Bhanugupta was a lesser-known mid-sixth-century ruler of the Gupta Empire.
  • He is mentioned in several stone pillar inscriptions, but his specific reign and events are not well-recorded.
  • Bhanugupta is known to have been defeated by the Huna ruler Toramana in the Eran region in 510 CE, leading to the dissolution of the Gupta dynasty.
  • Much of what is known about Bhanugupta and his reign comes from coinage and various inscriptions, some of which are subject to academic debate.