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The Mauryan Empire's Arthashastra: Statecraft and Spies episode artwork

EPISODE · May 26, 2026 · 10 MIN

The Mauryan Empire's Arthashastra: Statecraft and Spies

from Religion and Empire: How Faith Built Nations — Fexingo History · host Fexingo

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Kautilya's Arthashastra, the ancient Indian treatise on statecraft that shaped the Mauryan Empire. They discuss its discovery in 1905 by Rudrapatna Shamasastry, its pragmatic advice on espionage, taxation, and diplomacy, and its contrast with Ashoka's later Dhamma. Learn about the spymaster's network, the 40 types of spies, and the kings who employed poison as a tool. Did Chanakya really engineer Chandragupta's rise? And how did this ruthless realism coexist with Buddhism? The hosts examine the contested authorship, the text's rediscovery, and its influence on Mauryan governance—from Pataliputra's palace intrigue to the border provinces under Bindusara. #Arthashastra #Kautilya #Chanakya #MauryanEmpire #ChandraguptaMaurya #Bindusara #RudrapatnaShamasastry #IndianHistory #Statecraft #Espionage #AncientIndia #Mysore #Pataliputra #Dhamma #Ashoka #Saptanga #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

What this episode covers

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Kautilya's Arthashastra, the ancient Indian treatise on statecraft that shaped the Mauryan Empire. They discuss its discovery in 1905 by Rudrapatna Shamasastry, its pragmatic advice on espionage, taxation, and diplomacy, and its contrast with Ashoka's later Dhamma. Learn about the spymaster's network, the 40 types of spies, and the kings who employed poison as a tool. Did Chanakya really engineer Chandragupta's rise? And how did this ruthless realism coexist with Buddhism? The hosts examine the contested authorship, the text's rediscovery, and its influence on Mauryan governance—from Pataliputra's palace intrigue to the border provinces under Bindusara. #Arthashastra #Kautilya #Chanakya #MauryanEmpire #ChandraguptaMaurya #Bindusara #RudrapatnaShamasastry #IndianHistory #Statecraft #Espionage #AncientIndia #Mysore #Pataliputra #Dhamma #Ashoka #Saptanga #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

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The Mauryan Empire's Arthashastra: Statecraft and Spies

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How long is this episode of Religion and Empire: How Faith Built Nations — Fexingo History?

This episode is 10 minutes long.

When was this Religion and Empire: How Faith Built Nations — Fexingo History episode published?

This episode was published on May 26, 2026.

What is this episode about?

In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Kautilya's Arthashastra, the ancient Indian treatise on statecraft that shaped the Mauryan Empire. They discuss its discovery in 1905 by Rudrapatna Shamasastry, its pragmatic advice on espionage, taxation, and...

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