Dr.

Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law

University, Lucknow
ACADEMIC SESSION:
2019-2020

History
The Mauryan Administration
SUBMITTED TO: SUBMITTED BY:

Dr. Vandana Singh Sadhna Diwakar

Assistant Professor 190101121

RMLNLU, LUCKNOW BA.LLB (1st Semester)

Acknowledgment
I would like to convey my gratitude to a lot many people who have helped
and support in making this project.
I would like to thank my family and friends who have always been
supporting endeavors
Words are inadequate in offering a deep sense of gratitude to my professor,
Dr. Vandana singh for her precious guidance. From assigning me this topic
to instruct me on how I should move forward with my work, her enthusiasm
and knowledge has always been of utmost Importance.
I would also like to thank the librarians of Dr. Madhu Limaye Library who
extended their assistance to me by helping me out consult the relevant
books, and the best speed internet of University that help me to look out for
the concern material i.e. secondary data very easily and smoothly.
I know that despite my efforts some discrepancies might have crept in which
I believe my humble Professor would forgive.
Thanking you all…

- Sadhna Diwakar
Index:-

1. Mauryan Administration
2. Republics
3. Monarchy
4. Pura and Janapada

5. Provincial Government

6. District Administration

7. Village Administration

8. Municipal Administration

9. Military and Espionage Department

10. Finance

11. Judicial and Police departments

12.Municipal Administration

13.Economic Condition

14.Agriculture

15.Other sources of Revenue

16.Trade and Navigation

17.Changes by Asoka
 The Mauryan Administration
Mauryan Administration:
The establishment of the Mauryan empire in contrast to the earlier smaller kingdoms ushered in a
new form of government, that of a centralized empire.

The Mauryan Empire indicates the triumph of monarchy as a political system over tribal republics.
A study of the Arthashastra in conjunction with the edicts provides information regarding the
administrative structure.

At the centre of the structure was the king who had the power to enact laws. Kautilya advises the
King to promulgate dharma when the social order based on the varnas and ashramas (stages in life)

The king is called by him dharma pravartaka or promulgator of the social order. There was a
council of ministers or mantri- parishad to advise the king and at times this may have acted as a
political check.

The Mauryan centralized monarchy became a paternal despotism under Ashoka. Ashoka in his 1st
separate Edict (Dhauli and Jauguda) says “Savv-e Munisse Paja Mama”. (All men are my
children). The Mauryan king did not claim any divine origin yet they attempted to emphasize the
connection between kinship and divine power.1
Republics
At the time of invasion of India by Alexander the great , there were a large number of republics in
punjab, eastern U.P. and Northern Bihar. There are also occasional reference to them in the
Arthasastra of kautilya . it is not impossible that all these republics were integrated into the
mauryan empire. It is also possible that several Republics continued to exist as separate political
units, but as feudatories of the new power. The provincial governors of the mauryas may have
supervised them2.

1
2
Monarchy
Monarchy was the prevailing form of government in the Mauryan period. Kautilya was the greatest
exponent of a monarchical form of government. After examining the merits and demerits of
various government, his conclusion was monarchy is best form of government. According to him
kingship “was the mainspring of all national exertions for the common good and all personal and
political relations and thereby smoothened the life of the individual and gave them each a chance”.
Kingship is the spirit and the state is its expression. The welfare of the state depends upon kingship
and it automatically becomes the symbol of sovereignty.
Kautilya put great emphasis on the education and training of the king in the art of government and
administration. the body politics gets diseased if the king lacks discipline and is ignorant.hence the
king must be instructed in four branches of human knowledge viz. Anvikshiki (philosophy), Trayi
(the three vedas) ,Varta (economics) and Dandaniti (science of government).
The king was the fountain source of all government activity. The army and the treasury were under
his immediate control. he was guided by his council of ministers, but he could ignore that advice
in the interest of the people.He could issue edicts prescribing a definite course of conduct.
the Mauryan kings ruled over a vast empire and naturally there was a lot of pomp and grandeur in
the courts. There were a number of secret and subterranean as a precaution against a sudden rising
or attack .
Minister
Minister occupied an important place in the body politic. The view of Kautilya is that real
sovereignty is to be achieved by three fold powers (saktis) viz. Mantrashakti (statesmanship),
Prabhu shakti (treasury) and Utsah Shakti (energy and enthusiasm).
The king is advised to administer the state with the help of his ministers. He further says that the
king cannot steer the ship of the state without the assistance of ministers who are the eye of the
king.3
The Council of ministers is called Parishad . Kautiliya refers to two kinds of ministers viz., the
Mantrin and the Amatyas. The Mantrin constituted the inner circle of the parishad which
corresponded to the modern cabinet . The included the prime minister , the purohita, the
commander-in-chief and the Yuvraj . Dauvarika, Antarvamshika, Prashasta, Samaharta,

3
V.D Mahajan(13th edition)
Sannidhata, Pradestha and other Amatyas constituted the outer circle of the parishad. The Amatyas
correspond to what we may call the Minister of the state. Policies were framed by the cabinet while
the Amatyas carried them out. In addition to the Amatyas, the Mantri parishad included the
leaders of the Paura- Janapada. The were called Mahamatyas.
4
The council of ministers or mantri-parishad advised the king and at times may have acted as a
political check. But the powers of the council were limited owing to the fact that it was the king
who appointed the ministers in the first instance. Three qualities of a minister that the Arthasastra
stresses are those of birth, integrity and intelligence

There was no fixed number for the members of the council and it varied according to the need.
The Arthasastra lists the Chief Minister or the mahamantri and also distinguishes between the
ministers and the assembly of ministers (mantrinomantriparisadamca).

It would seem that the ministerial council or mantri-parisad, a small group of perhaps three or four
councillors, together with the Chief Minister, was selected to act as an inner council or a close
advisory body. It’s important members included the Purohita, Senapati (Commander-in-chief), the
Mahamantri and the Yuvaraja.

Pura and Janapada

The Paura-Jnapada was the assembly of the people of the town and the country. Kautilya deals
with its powers and functions in the Arthasastra . He lays down the rule that the king should attend
to the business of the Paura-Janapada which was the advisory body. A King imposed an illegal
punishment and levied an unreasonable tax, this assembly could oppose the king. That is the reason
why kautilya advises the king to win the favour of the assembly. New taxes and benevolences had
to be first approved by this assembly. This assembly could demand Anguttaras or favours from the
king in time of distress.The paura-Janapada acted as a powerful check on royal authority.

Provincial Government

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D.N Jha first edition 1977
The formation of an empire which incorporated regions of differing ethnic composition and at
different levels of social development, necessitated the setting up of a machinery of provincial
government.

Acc. to the edicts, the main provinces with centres Taxila, Ujjayini, Tosali and Suvarnagiri
constituted special territorial and administrative units of the Empire. Rudradaman’s inscription
from junagadh indicates the Exception statues enjoyed by Saurashtra. The princes when appointed
as viceroy were called Kumar-Mahamatras.

The provincial government was required to maintain law and order, collect taxes for the Central
Government, Cooperate in the work of its different Departments and keep a watch over the
Feudatories and frontier people.

District Administration

The revenue and general administration was carried on in the Districts by Sthanikas and Gopas
with their own staff of officials. The Gopa had charge of five to ten villages in which he supervised
the maintenance of boundaries, registered gifts, sales and mortgages , and kept an accurate census
of the people and their material resources. The Sthanikas were responsible to the Samaharta who
commanded the services of pradeshtris.

Village Administration

The village was the smallest unit of administration in charge of an official called Gramika. He was
not a paid servant of the crown but an elected officials of the village.

Municipal Administration

The government of the capital was, like the war office, in the charge of a commission of 30
members divided into six Boards of five men each. They were in charge of

(1) Artizans and industrial workers.

(2) Visitors and foreigners, who were fed and lodged by the state .
(3) Registration of births and deaths .

(4) Trade and commerce, weights and measures.

(5) Manufactures and prevention of fraud .

(6) Tolls and duties on sales .5

Military and Espionage Department:

The army was often led by the king himself. It was only in the days of the last Maurya that we find
a Senapati overshadowing the king and transferring the allegiance of the troops to himself. The
army of Chandragupta, according to Pliny, included 6, 00,000 foot soldiers, 30,000 cavalry and
9,000 elephants, besides chariots.

It was under the control of the Senapati under whom there were several adhyakshas of different
wings and units of the army such as those of infantry (Padadhyaksha), cavalry (asvadhyaksha),
war elephants (Hastyadhyaksha), navy (navadhyaksha), chariots (Rajadhyaksha), and armoury
(ayudhagaradhyaksha).

Kautilya classifies troops into the hereditary ones (Maula), the hired troops (bhritakas), troops
supplied by forest tribes (atavivala), and those furnished by the allies (mitravala). The first were
of primary importance and constituted the standing army of the king.

They were probably the troops referred to by Megasthenes in describing the fifth class, that of the
soldiers. Kautilya’s also talks about the salaries of different ranks of military commanders. For
example, the Senapati received a salary of 48,000 panas per annum.

Megasthenes describes the administration of the armed forces as comprising of six committees
with five members on each. The first committee was concerned with naval warfare, second
equivalent to the modern commissariat supervising the transport of war materials, third supervising

5
A. Chakraborty and S.k Biswal: History of Ancient India (first edition, 2007)
the infantry, the fourth supervising cavalry, the fifth was concerned with chariots and the sixth
supervised the elephant corps.

The espionage department was manned by guddhapurushas (secret agents) under the control of
mahamatya pasarpa, both stationary (Samsthan) and wandering (Sanchari). Officials formed the
personnel of this cadre.

Different types of agents, from recluses and students to householders and ‘poisonous’ girls
(vishkanyas) were employed. They correspond to the ‘overseers’ of Megasthenes .

and the Pativedakas or special reporters and Pulisanis or king’s agent of Asokan edicts

Finance.

● The revenue department chief was called Samharta.

● Another important official was Sannidhata (treasurer).
● Revenue was collected on land, irrigation, shops, customs, forests, ferry, mines and
pastures. License fees were collected from artisans and fines were charged in the law
courts.
● Most of the land revenue was one-sixth of the produce.

Judicial and Police departments:

The King was the head of justice – the fountain head of law and all matters of grave consequences
were decided by him. Kautilya refers to the existence of two kinds of courts – dharmasthala
(dealing with civil matters) and kantaka shodhana (dealing criminal cases). There were special
courts in the cities and villages presided over by the pradesika, mahamatras and rajukas. Kautilya
mentions about the four sources of law.

They are dharma (sacred law), vyavahara (Usage), charitam (customs and precedents) and
rajasasana (royal proclamations). The Pradesika were the principal police officers, whose duty was
to investigate the crimes committed in the region within their jurisdiction. Police headquarters
were found in all principal centres.
There was a sthaniya in the midst of 800 villages, a dronamukha in 400 villages, a kharvatika in
200 villages and a sangrahana in 10 villages. The jail proper bandanagara was different from the
police lock-up called Charaka.

Municipal Administration:

The Arthasastra mentions the nagaraka or city superintendent who was responsible for the
maintenance of law and order in the city. He was assisted by two subordinate officials, the gopa
and the sthanika. Asokan inscriptions mention the nagalaviyohalaka mahamattas and refer to them
largely in their judicial capacity.

In describing city administration, Megasthenes outlines a more elaborate system. According to

him, the officials were divided into six committees each with a membership of five. The first
committee was concerned with matters relating to industrial arts.

The second occupied it with the facilities to the foreigners. The third kept a register of births and
deaths both by way of a census and for purposes of taxation. The fourth committee was in charge
of matters of trade and commerce.

The fifth committee supervised the public sale of manufactured articles. The sixth committee
collected the tax on the articles sold, this being one-tenth of the purchase price.

Economic Condition:
The mainstay of the economy under the Mauryas was agriculture, though trade was becoming
increasingly more important. It would seem that cultivators formed a majority of the population
and taxes on agriculture were the main source of revenue.

Agriculture

● The chief of the Agriculture department was known as ‘Sitadhyaksha’.

● Then there was separate irrigation department as well which looked after a network of
canals. These canals provided water for irrigation according to land requirements.
Other sources of Revenue:
The Arthasastra refers to a state monopoly of mines (khani), and the manufacture of salt and wine.
According to Megasthenes, shipbuilding and manufacture of arms were royal monopolies. Slave
labour was employed in the mines and factories.

The state was also the biggest trader and made arrangements to check adulteration, provided for
the correctness of weights and measures, and collection of tolls through officials like
Panyadhyaksa, Mudradhyaksa, Kosthagaradhyaksa, Pautvadhyaksa and Sulkadhyaksa, all of them
working under the Samaharta.

Megasthenes also refers to six boards of Astynomoi, some of which were entrusted with these
duties. The state derived its revenue from seven main heads (ayasarira) viz., durga (fortified
towns), rastra (country side), khani (mines) setu (buildings and gardens), vana (forest), vraja (herds
of cattle), and vanikpatha (roads of traffic).

Trade and Navigation:

There was a brisk internal trade among different regions, in various types of goods. External trade
was carried on with foreign countries, particularly with the Hellenic (Greek) world and Burma to
some extent. The main exports were different spices, pearls, diamonds, cotton textiles, ivory
works, conch shells, etc.,

The main imports consisted of horses, gold, glass, linen, etc. Balance of trade was very much in
favour of India. Trade was an important source of revenue which became a major earner in the
post-Mauryan period. The eighteen chief handicrafts of the time were organised in guilds called
sirenis each under its president called pramukha and the alderman called Jetthaka . Trade was
organised in merchant-guilds (sanghas and shrenis). The sale of merchandise was strictly regulated
by the state and a toll tax of one- fifth of the value of the commodity was levied.

The percentages of profit to the merchants were fixed and excess profits went to the treasury. The
amount consisted of 5 per cent on local commodities and 10 per cent on foreign produce.
Commodities manufactured in the country were stamped at the place of manufacture, while those
that were brought in from foreign countries were stamped at the toll-gates. Since the toll-tax was
based on the value of the commodity it was probably paid in money and not in kind.

About the practice of usury, Megasthenes states that Indians neither put out money at usury, nor
know how to borrow. Kautilya deals with organized money lending in the Arthasastra. Fifteen
percent per annum appears to have been the average rate of interest on borrowed money.

A special commercial interest (vyavaharika) at 60 percent per annum was probably charged for
commercial activities involving sea voyages or lengthy travels. Greek sources speak of tax evader
being sentenced to capital punishment (kleptim totelos).

Trade routes in the Mauryan period followed either the main highways or navigable rivers. Sea
trade was conducted both with the west and with the northern coast of Burma. The important
internal trade routes were the north to south-west route (from Sravasti to Pratisthana), the north to
south-east route (from Sravasti to Rajagriha) and the east-west route which followed the river
courses of the Ganges and the Yamuna. The Royal Highway from the north-west (in the region of
Taxila) to Pataliputra was considered the most important route.

This route extended eastwards along the Ganga to the port of Tamralipti. Tamluk (Tamralipti) on
the east coast and Broach and Soparaon the west coast were the most important sea-ports of India
in those times. The east coast sea route appears to have had heavier traffic. The state appears to
have had a considerable control over the shipbuilding industry.

The Mauryan Art Pillars and Sculptures:

1. At Lauriya-Nandangarh the crowning figure is a single lion while the abacus is adorned by a
row of Brahmagiri geese or hamsas pecking their food.

2. At Rampurva a bull has been reported at one pillar and the other pillar has lion as the crowning
animal.

3. At Sankisa (Farrukhabad district, U.P) there is an elephant as the capital.

4. The Basarh Bakhira pillar has a single lion capital.

5. The Rummindei pillar inscription had capital of horse but it is now absent.

6. Another remarkable animal figure of the Mauryan period is the elephant at Dhauli. However, it
belongs to a very different tradition and has little in common with the animal capitals.

Two types of stone were used for Mauryan pillars – the spotted red and white sandstone from the
region around Mathura and the buff-coloured Chunar sandstone obtained from the region around
Varanasi.

There is a uniformity in the pillar capitals suggesting that they were all sculpted by craftsmen
belonging to the same region. An interesting exception is the pillar fragment from Amaravati in
Andhra. It is made of locally available quartzite and seems to have been cut, shaped, modeled and
even polished locally.

Changes by Asoka

The picture of the Mauryan administration given in periods of all the great Mauryan Emperors,
but few innovations were introduced by Asoka.He popularised the paternal theory of the
government and regarded his subjects as his children and officers as midwives. The owed debt to
his subjects which he could pay off only by security moral and material welfare. He renounced
violence and war.

however that did not make him champion the cause of the abolition of capital punishment. Is order
to carry out the policy of moral regeneration of his subjects he created a new day of officials known
as Dharma - Mahamatras who were to preach Dharma during their tour and direct charity into
proper channels. He himself executed many monumental work of charity like starting hospital
for men and beasts, planting of trees and mango groves on the roadside, sinking of wells at
every half of , setting up of watching and resting places not only in India but even in the
kingdoms of friendly rulers .

He made service for the good of all (Sarva Lokhit) available to all. Officer like yuktas, Rajukas
and Pradesikas were enjoyed to go on tours of inspection every year for imparting his instructions
on Dharma.Officers like yuktas, Rajukas and Pradesika were enjoined to go on tours of inspection
every year for imparting his instructions on Dharma.