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Statecraft and Strategy in Vishakhdatta’s Mudrarakshasa: A Reflection of Kautilya’s Arthashastra

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  • Anwesha Roygupta
Anwesha Roygupta
Semester V, Department of History, Scottish Church College, Kolkata

Published 05.08.2026

Keywords

  • Mudrarakshasa,
  • Vishakhdatta,
  • Chanakya,
  • Rakshasa,
  • Chandragupta,
  • Arthashastra
    • ...More
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How to Cite

Roygupta, A. (2026). Statecraft and Strategy in Vishakhdatta’s Mudrarakshasa: A Reflection of Kautilya’s Arthashastra. Loreto College Academic Press, 70–78. Retrieved from https://loretocollegeacademicpress.com/index.php/lcap/article/view/57
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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Abstract

Mudrarakshasa (The Signet Ring of Rakshasa), composed by Vishakhdatta, is a Sanskrit political drama, set in the aftermath of Chandragupta Maurya’s ascent to the throne of Magadha. It shows the political intrigue of Chanakya, who used his diplomatic genius not only to defeat the previous Nanda king but also to win over his loyal prime minister, Rakshasa, to strengthen the political power of Chandragupta. Drawing upon the principles of the Arthashastra of Kautilya, this drama reflects the pragmatic and sometimes ruthless diplomatic measures and aspects of ancient India. This paper analyses Mudrarakshasa as a mirror of the statecraft of the then India, highlighting its nature of being complementary to another ancient Indian political study, Arthashastra.

DOI - https://doi.org/10.66496/LCAP.9788168710115.2026.70-78

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