Ebook: Calila and Dimna

Originating in ancient India, Calila and Dimna was the first book of Asian philosophy to be translated into Western languages, ultimately to become one of the most widely circulated books in the entire world. Brought to Europe hundreds of years before the time of Machiavelli, it exposes the arts of power and dominion, where treachery and intrigue are engaged in perpetual conflict with honor and trust.

This classic work was introduced to Western Europe before the Renaissance, where it was translated into Spanish, Hebrew, and Latin in the 13th century. Some indication of the importance already attached to this book at that time may be gleaned from its Latin title, Directorium Vitae Humanae, Guide to Human Life.

These translations of Calila and Dimna were sponsored by Alfonso X (1221-1283), future king of Castile and Leon, while still a prince. Known as Alfonso the Savant, he was a polymath who avidly promoted the arts and sciences and legal reform, while also embroiled in warfare and political conflict for most of his life.