Literature & Language:
Taxila, Ujjain, and Varanasi were the centres of the educational and literary activity e.g., Kalpasutra by Bhadrabahu’s.
Sanskrit was well developed. Many texts were written in Sanskrit. Upper-class people in society used Sanskrit for communication.
Panini was a Sanskrit philologist, grammarian, and revered scholar in ancient India, variously dated between the 6th and 4th century BCE. He wrote Sanskrit grammar, ‘Ashtadhyayi’.
Pali was used in Buddhist and Jain texts. This was the language of the masses. It’s because of this, these new religions became popular.
Kautilya wrote ‘Arthashastra’. This book gave the intricate details of running an administration. It throws light on Chandragupta’s administration.
The Arthashastra (‘the science of statecraft’) by Kautilya (Chanakya or Vishnugupta) is a highly detailed and sophisticated treatise from India, often referred to as the science of material well-being or statecraft.
It summarizes the political ideas of Kautilya, an advisor to Chandragupta Maurya, often compared to Machiavelli.
This work is divided into 15 books (Adhikaranas), with the first five focusing on tantra (internal administration) and the next eight on avapa (interstate relations).
It prioritizes material well-being (Artha) over spiritual well-being (dharma) and sensual pleasures (kama).
The book covers a wide range of topics relevant to effective governance, including diplomacy, warfare, law, taxation, agriculture, and even controversial subjects like assassinations and espionage.
Kautilya summarizes the duty of a ruler, saying, “The happiness of the subjects is the happiness of the king; their welfare is his welfare.
