Chanakya: Artha

Book excerpt: The Bharatvarsha, which has been at equilibrium for millennia with internal powers vying for power, may see upheaval due to a new foe. Alexander the Great having already conquered the largest empire known to man, Persia, looks further East. Chanakya, fearing the worst, takes it upon himself to form a defence against the intruder. In doing so he starts wondering whether the Bharatvarsha hasn’t already descended into a form he cannot comprehend, and is it a form that he wants to preserve? Chanakya must decide if he will allow external forces to upheave the Bharatvarsha or internal forces.