chanakya · noun — A shrewd politician or, in general, a cunning person; a Machiavelli. It carries an Arena rating of 1574, earned across 28 head-to-head judged battles.
Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
Among words judged in Lexicurio's Arena, chanakya ranks #525 of 17,146 for Most Storied Words, #3,272 of 17,187 for Most Malleable Words, #3,486 of 17,176 for Most Incisive Words, #4,941 of 17,131 for Most Ponderous Words.
chanakya is pronounced /ˈtʃɑːnəkjə/.
Why “chanakya” is a great word
CHANAKYA — [Noun] A shrewd, cunning, and pragmatic politician or strategist, especially one who employs statecraft and realpolitik. From Sanskrit चाणक्य (Cāṇakya), the name of a 4th-century BCE Indian philosopher, economist, and royal advisor, traditionally identified as the author of the political treatise Arthashastra. Unlike a "Machiavelli," which denotes a Western archetype of Renaissance amoralism, or an "idealist," who clings to principle despite consequence, a Chanakya is an archetype of ruthless pragmatism rooted in the ancient science of governance. He is the whisper in the monarch’s ear that advocates poison over war, the minister who builds an empire from a scattering of dust, and the strategist who sees the throne in the orphan prince—a reminder that the architecture of power is often drafted in shadows, greased by the austere oil of unsentimental reason.
❧ Essay by Lexicurio’s AI · definition, etymology & citations from published sources
Etymology
Borrowed from Sanskrit चाणक्य (Cāṇakya). Chanakya was an Indian economist, philosopher, political scientist, and royal advisor of the 4th century B.C.E. He is traditionally identified as the person named Kauṭilya or Vishnugupta who authored the Arthashastra, a political treatise. He engineered the collapse of Magadha and put Chandragupta Maurya into power, establishing the Maurya Empire.
noun
- A shrewd politician or, in general, a cunning person; a Machiavelli.e.g.“But these methods of the Chāṇakyas—the Macchiavellis of India—unfortunately always carry the seeds of destruction in their bosom.” — 1908, The Theosophist, volume 29, Adyar, Madras: Theosophical Publishing House, →OCLC, page 722:
Definitions & examples from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 3.0).
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