The Mauryan Empire
The Mauryan Empire is regarded as the first and one of the greatest empires in India. Chandragupta Maurya founded the Mauryan Empire in the 4th century BC after overthrowing the Nandas from Magadha. His son Bindusara further extended the boundaries of the empire. Bindusara’s son—king Ashoka—is regarded as one of the greatest kings of ancient India. After the Kalinga War, Ashoka devoted his life to human welfare.
Sources
Literary Sources
- Arthashastra written by Kautilya forms one of the most important sources of the history of the Mauryan period. Kautilya or Chanakya was the chief advisor of Chandragupta Maurya. The book contains important information on politics, rules in diplomacy, principles of administration and other state matters.
- Indika was written by Megasthenes who was the Greek ambassador at the court of Chandragupta Maurya. He was sent to Chandragupta’s court by Seleucus, a Greek ruler. Megasthenes lived in the court of Chandragupta for about five years.
Archaeological Sources
- Edicts are the royal proclamations issued by the ruler. Edicts of Ashoka are the oldest, best preserved and precisely dated records of India. Ashoka’s edicts include 14 Major Rock Edicts, seven pillar edicts and several minor rock edicts.
- These edicts reflect the policies and events which took place during the reign of Ashoka.
- The Sanchi Stupa is a semi-spherical dome structure which contains the relics of Buddha such as his teeth, hair or bones. The Sanchi Stupa was built by Ashoka in 3rd century BC. Many stories taken from Jataka and the events of the life of the Buddha have been engraved on the gateways of the stupa at Sanchi.
Administration
Arthashastra and Indika are two main books which provide us information about the administration during the period of Ashoka.
The administration under the Mauryas was divided into two
Civil administration
Military administration.
Civil administration was divided into two main divisions—Central government and Provincial government.
Central Government
- The Mauryan administration was highly centralised as the king had all the powers and his decisions were considered final.
- The king was assisted by the council of ministers called mahamantriparishad. Each minister was responsible for his department.
- The council of ministers included the chief pujari or Purohit, the Senapati (commander of the army), the Sannidhata (head treasurer) and the Samaharta (the taxation expert).
- Some other ministers included the Accountant General, Superintendent of Ports, Superintendent of Weights and Measures, and Controller of Commerce.
- Ashoka appointed Mahamantras to look after the welfare of his subjects. Provincial Government
- The provincial administration of Ashoka was divided into five provinces—Patliputra, Ujjain, Taxila, Swarnagari and Tosali.
- Only the princes were made the head of the provinces. They were known as Kumars or Aryaputra.
- The Kumars were assisted by governors called the mahamatras. Pradeshika collected the taxes. The Rajukta performed the modern-day functions of a Tahsildar or revenue officer. The Yukta was a treasurer.
District Administration
- The provinces were divided into various districts called the Janapads.
- At the district level also the administration was looked after by the Predeshika, Rajukta and Yuktas.
The Revenue System
- The land revenue was the chief source of income. It was fixed between one-fourth and one-sixth of the produce depending on the fertility of the soil. Tax was slightly more for irrigated lands.
- There were two types of taxes—Bali and Bhaga. Bhaga was an agricultural tax, while Bali was a religious tax.
- Revenue from trade was another main source of income. Pataliputra, Ujjain, Taxila and Broach were some important inland trading centres. Overseas trade was carried on with the Greek kingdoms of Central Asia and the Middle East.
- Toll tax was imposed on articles which were brought for sale. Taxes were also levied on forest produce and minerals.
The Spy System
- The Mauryas had a very efficient spy system. Many women were also appointed as spies and were posted in different regions of the kingdom.
- The spies kept a watch on officers such as the revenue officers and senapati. Many spies were recruited to keep an eye on other spies.
- The spy system was introduced to keep a watch on the common people, officers and ministers of the state. The king was also informed of the public opinion on important issues and decisions taken by him.
Military Administration
- The greatest strength of the Mauryan administration was the large and well-equipped army. It consisted of infantry, cavalry, elephants and chariots.
- According to the Roman writer Pliny, the Mauryas had 600,000 infantry, 30,000 cavalry and 9,000 war elephants.
- The chief weapons used were bows and arrows, shields and swords. Senapati was the head of the army. The king was the commander-in-chief of the army and all the important decisions were taken by him. Soldiers were paid in cash.
- The Mauryan emperor had built various forts at strategic locations for maintaining the safety and security of the empire.
Religious Administration
Ashoka felt remorse after the Kalinga War. He became a firm follower of Buddhism and declared it as a state religion. He followed the policy of Dhamma.
Its main principles were
• To respect elders and to love children
• To follow ahimsa or non-violence
• To do good deeds as this will reap benefits in the next life
• To respect all religions
• Not to perform unnecessary rituals