An opinion piece critiques Devdutt Pattanaik's historical analysis of Chanakya, arguing that Pattanaik's claims of Chanakya being a fantasy and the Arthasastra being a later interpolation are not supported by primary sources. The author asserts that the Arthasastra explicitly identifies its author as Kautilya and that elements described in the text align with the Mauryan empire's administration, suggesting Kautilya predates Ashoka's era.