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DAILY
CLASS NOTES
Ancient History

Lecture – 09
Mauryan Administration
and Buddhism
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Mauryan Administration and Buddhism

Military Administration in Mauryan Empire:
 Military administration was headed by the Senapati.
 Salaries of the army were paid in cash.
 There were six departments of the Army namely Infantry, Cavalry, Elephants, Navy, Chariots and
Transportations.
 There was a department for espionage and military intelligence and people who worked there were called
Gudhapurusha with two kinds of officials. The ones with desk jobs were called Sansthan and others in
field jobs were called Sanchari.
 Kautilya’s Arthasharta considered all four Varnas were eligible to be part of the Army.
 It is believed that the Army comprised more than 6 lakhs foot soldiers.
Judicial System in Mauryan Empire:
 The King was the central authority in the judicial system.
 There were two kinds of judicial officers.
 Gramavardha (for villages)
 Nagar vyavaharika Mahamatra (for towns)
 The District Magistrate was called Rajjukas.
 The civil court was called Dharmashthiya.
 The criminal court was called Kantaka Shodhana.
 The jail was known as bandhangara.
 The lockup was known as Charaka.
Local Administration in Mauryan Empire:
 The village was a small unit of administration and was headed by Gramika.
 The district collector was called Pradeshika who reported to the provincial governor.
 Sthanika was a tax collector who reported to Pradeshika.
 Akshapatala was the accountant general who reported to Sthanika.
 The Fort was governed and managed by Durgapala.
 Antapala was responsible for managing the frontiers of the empire.
Revenue Administration in Mauryan Empire:
 The head of the revenue department was called Samharta.
 Sannidharta was the treasurer of the empire.
 The revenue collection was made by collecting the land revenue of one-sixth of the produce.
Mauryan Economy in Mauryan Empire:
 There was high agricultural productivity.
 Trade and commerce flourished.
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 There was a disciplined and centrally monitored tax system.

 Chandra Gupta Maurya introduced a single currency throughout the entire empire.
 The major trade was done in silk, textiles and spices.
 They were having substantial trade relations with the Roman empire.
Causes of Decline of the Mauryan Empire:
 Overcentralization and heavy bureaucracy were one of the main reasons for the decline of the empire.
 There was neglect towards the North Western frontier of the empire.
 There was a financial crisis due to overtaxation to manage such a huge administration.
 Furthermore, Ashoka’s adoption of Buddhism led him to divert resources to the spread of Dhamma
instead of building or strengthening the empire.
 Successors of Ashoka were incompetent.
 Brihadatta was the last Mauryan King of the Empire. Pushyamitra Shunga was a Brahmin Army
Commander in the Mauryan Army. He was not happy with the decline of his religion and state of Brahmins.
So, he killed Brihadatta in 187 BC, and established the Shunga Dynasty.
Buddhism:
 Buddhism rose roughly around 2600 BC.
 It came up as a way of life with an aim of transforming the individual.
 It spread through South and Southeast Asia.
Causes for the Rise of Buddhism:
 Complex and expensive vedic rituals had made people wary of them.
 There was a spread of superstitious beliefs .
 The caste system was also very rigid and there was unrest in society because of Brahmin supremacy.
 Due to the flourishing of trade, the Vaishyas wanted to rise in the hierarchy in society.
 Sanskrit was the language of religion and access to this language was restricted to the elites.
Gautam Buddha (563 to 483 BC):
 He was born around 563 BC as Prince Siddartha.
 At 29 years of age , he left his kingdom in quest of finding the root of sorrow in life.
 He sat for 49 days of meditation at Bodhgaya under the Peepal Tree.
 After achieving enlightenment, he gives his first sermon at Sarnath, near Benaras . This event was called
Dharma Chakra Pravartana.
 At the age of 80 around 483 BCE, he left this world in Kushinagar. This event is called Mahapari
Nibbana.
Key Tenets of Buddhism:
 It gave the idea of Madhyamika Marg which strived on the middle path and avoided extremities in life.
 There was an individualistic component of Buddhism which says everyone is responsible for one’s own
happiness.
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 It has the concept of four noble truths (Arya Sacchani Satya):

 Dukkha: Suffering is the essence of the world.
 Samudaya: Every suffering has a cause.
 Nirodha: Suffering could be extinguished.
 Ashtangika Marg or Atthanga Marg: Adopting eightfold path
 It expounded the eightfold path which contained:
 Right View
 Right Intention
 Right Speech
 Right Action
 Right Livelihood
 Right Mindfulness
 Right Effort
 Right Concentration
 All these are interconnected actions affecting each other.
 Buddhism also gave the concept of Panchsheel or the five teachings. It argued to refrain from:
 Violence
 Stealing
 Sexual Misconduct
 Lying or Gossip
 Intoxication

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