Arthashastra is arguably the greatest treatise ever written on political, military, and economic strategies, by a shrewd man popularly referred to as the Indian Machiavelli.
One of the most ancient and enduring works on statecraft and governance, Arthashastra is still widely read and studied today. Serving as the handbook for rulers, it answers a plethora of questions.
What are the qualities of an able king?
What does it take to manage a kingdom?
How can one expand one's territory?
And to hold one's power and gain wealth for one's subjects, how far can a king go?"

"Kautilya (also known as Chanakya and Vishnugupta) was an Indian philosopher, statesman, and royal advisor. He was one of the greatest, perhaps the most cunning, political masterminds to have ever existed. Facts on his life are a mesh of various legends attributed to him in Buddhism, Jainism, and other spiritual paths. The Mauryan Empire owes its prosperity and existence, in no small amount, to this ruthless and driven man. Arthashastra and Neeti-shastra are Kautilya's notable works. They were written hundreds of years ago, but the teachings encapsulated in these works are practical and can be applied to situations in the modern-day world, as is evidenced by their popularity and wide readership. Translated as 'the science of gaining wealth', Arthashastra is a treatise on state governance, centred around the idea that an able government will lead to a generation of wealth for the people of the nation."