---
title: "Kautilya: Ancient Indian Statesman | Model Diplomat"
description: "Kautilya, also known as Cāṇakya, was a key political theorist and author of the Arthaśāstra, influencing ancient Indian statecraft and governance."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/kautilya"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- Kauṭilya was the ancient Indian statesman and political theorist, traditionally identified as Chandragupta Maurya's chief minister and author of the Arthaśāstra treatise on statecraft.
- Who was Kauṭilya and by what other names is he known?
- What is the saptāṅga theory in Kauṭilya's Arthaśāstra?
- How was the Arthaśāstra rediscovered in modern times?
- Why is Kauṭilya relevant to the GS4 Ethics paper?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

Kauṭilya was the ancient Indian statesman and political theorist, traditionally identified as Chandragupta Maurya's chief minister and author of the Arthaśāstra treatise on statecraft.

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R. Shamasastry, librarian of the Mysore Government Oriental Library, rediscovered a palm-leaf manuscript of Kauṭilya's Arthaśāstra in 1905 and published its first English translation in 1915, reviving global study of Mauryan statecraft.

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