‘Chanakya’s Chant’ is the book I received from blogadda as part of the Book Reviews Program. Here’s a snap of the book:
This book is basically about the wily but brilliant political strategist, Chanakya and his avatar in new age India
Title: Chanakya’s Chant
Author: Ashwin Sanghi
Plot: Vishnugupta, son of Chanak, the great teacher, takes on the name ‘Chanakya’ (son of Chanak) after his father is gruesomely murdered for standing up to the king’s atrocities. Chanakya flees the kingdom, only to return years later having completed his education and with a determination to achieve his father’s dream – the dream of a united Bharat. But that is no easy task, considering that there are several small but proud kingdoms to unite; and the fact that Alexander is marching this way with a huge Macedonian Army.
However, Chanakya, now a revered teacher himself, is not deterred. Along with a few selected students and the support of his father’s friends, he weaves intricate little webs to trap every man, Indian or Macedonian and makes them dance to his complicated tunes. He gets his way everywhere, and though his decisions are devoid of any morals or ethics, he finally realizes his dream and succeeds in establishing his main protégé, Chandragupta Maurya on the throne. He then retires to write about his special brand of science in the Arthashastra.
But history has a knack of repeating itself, and so Chanakya’s modern version, Pandit Gangasagar, is born in post independence India India
Review: The stories of the two protagonists travel along parallel lines, alternate chapters, to be more specific. For some time the story of Gangasagar and Chandini Gupta also appear to be in parallel. This gives a nice touch and helps the reader be in sync. Little icons in the chapter headers also explain the time period:
Chanakya’s story picks up steam right in the beginning, but Gangasagar’s takes some time to build up. But once the pace picks up, it goes on at full speed. The plots and subplots are very intricate and Sanghi seems to have done a lot of research. Minute details are present everywhere, be it the time system of the old days, or the technicalities of the Indian Constitution. The reader is sucked into a vortex of scheming, lying and hypocritical characters who have absolutely no sense of morals. The extents to which these shrewd political advisors go appear shocking at times, but more or less reflect the current state of Indian politics. Like Gangasagar says, “Clean politics is an oxymoron”.
Both Gangasagar and Chanakya are Brahmins, from poor families, and are completely self made men. Even the names of their protégés, Chandragupta and Chandini Gupta, are similar. Rarely, the comparisons seem a bit labored, but on the whole they move quite smoothly. Chanakya’s Chant reverberates throughout the book, and as we move towards the end, it gains more meaning.
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