I Chanakya, vow not to bind my hair until I have unseated you from the throne of Magadha.

When the learned Brahmin, Vishnugupta, is humiliated by the arrogant king, Dhana Nanda, in a public gathering, he swears revenge. Anger is his weakness, but strategy, his strength. This formerly unknown Brahmin goes on to become the most well-known kingmaker in Indian history: Chanakya. Using a combination of cunning, ruthlessness and luck, Chanakya fulfils his vow and propels a boy of unknown origins, Chandragupta Maurya, to the throne of the most powerful kingdom of that time, an empire even Alexander the Great hesitated to confront.

This fascinating account shows how Chanakya went from being a penniless fugitive with the rebel prince of Pataliputra to the prime minister of Magadha, and finally the author of the groundbreaking Arthashastra. With fun snippets and lesser-known facts about Chanakya and the Mauryan age, this book promises to be an exciting and gripping adventure story.

About the Author

Author, poet and translator, Deepa Agarwal writes for both children and adults and has published about fifty books. She has received several national and international awards, including the NCERT National Award for Childrens Literature for Ashoks New Friends, and her book Caravan to Tibet featured in the IBBY Honour List 2008. She is also the founder- organiser of the Habitat Childrens Book Forum, New Delhi. Her recent titles include Write Right, Rajula and the Web of Danger and Ghost Stories.