This book in original form has been lost. But most passages have been
preserved in form of epitomes and quotations which are found scattered here and
there in the later writings of various Greek and Roman authors such as Strabo,
Arrian and Plinius. Another important source which gives valuable information
on the Mauryan period is the Arthashastra. It is believed to be the work of
Vishnu Gupta Kautilya also known as Chanakya. He was the chief advisor of
Chandragupta Maurya. His book Arthashastra is a standard work on politics and
art of government.
It is considered to be the most valuable work in the
field of secular literature. Mudra Rakshasa is another important work which
throws some light on Chandragupta Maurya's career. It is a drama written by
Vaisakha Dutta in the Gupta period. The author collected all the information
available to him in the 5th century AD. This drama gives the detail of the
revolution by which Chandragupta Maurya overthrew the Nandas. It also mentioned
that Chandragupta belonged to a low caste