Chanakya

[dr_dshiv]

Many thousands of undiscovered manuscripts, invaluable to India's literary legacy, are rotting away as we speak. There is very little financial support for archeology or manuscriptology in India. So much has been lost already. And, of the estimated known 40 million manuscripts, no one is being trained to read and translate them! Opportunity for philanthropy?

https://www.dailyo.in/arts/ancient-manuscripts-india-sanskri...

https://www.newindianexpress.com/thinkedu2020/2020/jan/08/hi...

https://namami.gov.in/manuscriptology-polygraphy

[Mediterraneo10]

In recent decades, Hindutva forces have gained more and more political influence in India, and their rhetoric continually emphasizes that India is home to ancient Vedic wisdom unparalled in the world, and that Sanskrit is some kind of super-language handed down by the gods millions of years ago (instead of a codified form for sacramental use of an ordinary language spoken just a few thousand years ago). And yet, while many Indians are swelling with patriotic pride at their country’s inheritance, actual classical philology is dying and largely done by interested foreigners. Not only are the manuscripts not being adequately studied within India, but deep practical knowledge of Sanskrit is dying out, too. Yes, of course you’ll hear urban myths about whole villages speaking Sanskrit or whatever, but this is always huge exaggeration that gets perpetuated for decades.

[actuator]

While there seem to be ancient unis with rich literature[1], my understanding was most of the manuscripts were destroyed by invading forces, does the 40 million figure count those as well?

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_higher-learning_instit...

[natcombs]

> It's a great opportunity for philanthropy

With 189 million people undernourished or starving in India, why not donate to help with that first?

https://www.indiafoodbanking.org/hunger

[actuator]

Other than his works, he was the prime minister in Maurya empire, credited with its rise. Maurya empire is considered to be one of the greatest Indian empires along with Guptas(known for progress in science, medicine) and Cholas(mercantile empire crossing oceans). It spread west upto present day Afghanistan at its peak. Maurya king Ashoka is quite famous because of this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashoka#Kalinga_war_and_convers...

[humility]

Interestingly enough he became politically active after India's defeat at the hands of Alexander the Great, and aided in creating an empire that unified the whole of India, which was unprecedented until then.

[01100011]

It's nice to see some Asian history for a change. In the west, it seems as we only have an interest in the historical narratives of Egypt, Greece, Rome, and Europe. Dense civilizations existed in South and East Asian stretching back thousands of years and our history classes and popular culture barely touch on them.

I'd love to see more pop culture(games, movies, etc) explore the history of what is now India, Thailand, Vietnam, etc.

[actuator]

I am assuming for games at least, the market in say India is not big enough that it can cover the cost of making something high budget. Once the market becomes bigger in terms of ability to spend, there might be more content. For example Japan, China have big enough markets and both have dedicated games in Total War series on parts of their history.

[swamy_g]

I think we'll have to do this on our own and not rely on Hollywood or studios from the west. Bahubali was probably a good start. But more needs to be done. I'm starting to wonder whether it's a question of talent or question of capital. I seriously hope it's the latter.

[spaceman_2020]

I'm always amazed whenever I mention the Indus Valley Civilization and most people have never even heard of it - they think "ancient civilization" means the Egyptians and Mesopotamians!

[jhanschoo]

I'll note that someone who has interest in Latin and Ancient Greek normally develops an interest in Sanskrit and India as well, since these three are the ancient Indo-European languages with highly developed literatures.

[dr_dshiv]

Socrates reportedly met an Indian philosopher in Athens, according to Aristoxenus, student of Aristotle [1].

Some of Ashoka's pillars had Greek inscriptions [2]

Greece and India used to share borders. A Greek king became Buddhist. [2]

[1] https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249942188_Some_Rema...

[2] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greco-Buddhism

[pratik661]

There were lots of Greek speakers in India at the time. There was an Indo-Bactrian Greek kingdom in modern day Afghanistan and Pakistan long after the Greeks were conquered by the Romans (around 300 CE). A lot of early Buddhists were Greek. Lots of Indian statues have Greek style columns. I'm still mind blown by how connected the ancient world was.

[rramadass]

For people interested in actually studying Chanakya's writings (their sweep is magisterial), the following are recommended;

* The First Great Political Realist: Kautilya and His Arthashastra by Roger Boesche - A very good (and short) overview of the Arthashastra.

* King, Governance, and Law in Ancient India: Kautilya's Arthashastra translated by Patrick Olivelle - A good modern translation of the complete Arthashastra.

* Kautilya's Arthashastra: An Intellectual Portrait: The Classical Roots of Modern Politics in India by Subrata K. Mitra and Michael Liebic - A scholarly and challenging work on the relevance and applications of the Arthashastra.

[082349872349872]

Interesting to see sock puppets already in use.

[voldacar]

The arthashastra is brilliant. Much older and far more Machiavellian than Machiavelli.

Highly recommended if you are interested in ancient thought

[actuator]

Is the english translation good enough or reading it in Sanskrit is recommended? If yes, any translation that you recommend?

[max_]

Thanks for the recommendation. I was looking for something like this to add in my personal library.

[bluishgreen]

TIL: That Chanakya's work was lost to history and was rediscovered in 1909. And the manuscripts that contained the treatise was donated to the scholars by a pandit from my home town (Tanjore or the modern Thanjavur). That drastically alters my sense of my own history. We knew of the big temple[1] circa 1000AD and all the scholarly thinking that went on around that time and the town has several UNESCO World Heritage sites from that period. But to house a script from circa 200 BCE, that is new to me.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brihadisvara_Temple,_Thanjavur

[dr_dshiv]

That's amazing. Just imagine what other manuscripts might be found in temples around India...

[Delfino]

Neat, thanks for sharing. I'm currently in Chanakyapuri near Chandragupta Marg. I now understand the significance of those names a bit more.

[rudiv]

Yes, we named the diplomatic enclave after Chanakya, following his advice of giving foreign missions palatial estates in exchange for tiny apartments.

[known]

Casteism is an Organized mafia operating in South Asia since 700 BC https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rigveda which is evident from the fact that 50% Ministers in Modi Cabinet are Brahmin while they are just 3% in India;

https://www.quora.com/Which-caste-is-looting-India/answers/2...