RESEARCH PROJECT

ON

MAURYAN ADMINISTRATION

Submitted to

MAHARASHTRA NATIONAL LAW

UNIVERSITY, AURANGABAD

Submitted by

NAMAN KUMAR

B.A.L.L.B. (Hons.) Semester-1

Roll No-2022/BALLB/80

Under the guidance of

Ms. Deeksha Ingle

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CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that NAMAN KUMAR of FIRST SEMESTER of 2022-27 batch

has successfully completed his project on the topic MAURYAN
ADMINISTRATION. This project is based on the original ideas of the researcher
and not copied or published anywhere.

SIGNATURE OF FACULTY

Date :

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I express my sincere gratitude to all those people who have been associated with this project and
have helped us with it and made it a worthwhile experience.

Firstly, I want to thank the Almighty for providing me wonderful opportunities in life.

I extend my thanks to the various people who have shared their opinions and experiences
through which I received the required information crucial for my project.

I would like to thank my Parents and friends for supporting me.

Finally, we express our thanks to professor who gave us this opportunity to learn the subject in a
practical approach and my seniors who guided me and gave me valuable suggestions regarding
the project.

THANK YOU

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 CONTENTS

S.No. Chapters Page No.

1. Introduction 5-7

2. Sources & History 8-10

3. Administration 11-17

4.. Conclusions & Suggestions 18

5. #Bibliography 20

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INTRODUCTION

The Maurya Empire, also known as the Mauryan Empire, was a geographically extensive Iron
Age historical power in ancient India, ruled by the Maurya dynasty from 322–185 BCE.
Originating from the kingdom of Magadha in the Indo-Gangetic Plain(modern Bihar,
eastern Uttar Pradesh) in the eastern side of the Indian subcontinent, the empire had its capital
city at Pataliputra(modern Patna).

Fourth century B.C.E. when the Mauryan empire was founded was an era of great turmoil in
Indian history. Alexander invaded India in 326 B.C.E. and defeated some small border
kingdoms. But the main centre of power at that timewas Magadha with Pātaliputra (modern
Patna) as its capital. The first dynasty to rule Magadha was The Hariyanak in which powerful
monarchs like Bimbisaraand Ajatashatru ruled. This dynasty was replaced by the Shishunaga and
this Naga dynasty itself was overthrown by Mahapadma, the founder of the Nanda dynasty.

At the time of Alexander’s conquest of India, a descendant of Mahapadma, named Dhananand

was ruling the kingdom of Magadha. From various sources, we are informed that the Nanda
kings (predecessors of the Mauryas) were of low caste origin. The last Nanda king Dhananand
was quite unpopular among his subjects. Chandragupta Maurya, with the help of Kautilya or
Chanakya (who later became his prime minister) defeated the last Nanda king and laid the
foundation of the Maurya dynasty1. He also restricted the rule of the successor of Alexander
called Seleucus, who after the death of Alexander, emerged to be the most powerful among the
fighting generals of Alexander. Alexander’s death was followed by a war of succession among
his generals. Seleucus emerged victorious in the contest and established his sway over the entire
Greco-Asiatic empire. Being an ambitious person, he wanted to recoverthe lost conquests of
Alexander in India. A war took place between Seleucus and Chandragupta Maurya which
resulted in a treaty of friendship signed by the two monarchs. It was further attested to by a
matrimonial alliance and Seleucus gave his daughter in marriage to Chandragupta. He sent an
envoy named Megasthenesto Chandragupta’s court who wrote a brilliant account of Pātaliputra,
the Mauryan capital and his kingdom.
1
Ram Sharan Sharma, India’s Ancient Past[Oxford University Press, New Delhi] 2005

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The much important political aspect of this treaty was acceptance of Hindukush as the frontier
between the Magadhan and Greek kingdoms. Thus a natural frontier for India was secured by its
first historical ruler. After Chandragupta, two great rulers— Bindusara (the son of Chandragupta)
and Ashoka (the son of Bindusara) strengthened and expanded the empire. During the reign of
Ashoka, the Mauryan empire reached the peak of its glory. But after Ashoka, its downfall started
and finally in the 185 B.C.E. the last Mauryan ruler was killed by his own commander-in-chief,
Pusyamitra Sunga who laid down the foundation of the Shunga dynasty. In this way the Mauryan
empire ended.

The Maurya Empire was one of the largest empires of the world in its time. At its greatest extent,
the empire stretched to the north along the natural boundaries of the Himalayas, to the east
into Assam, to the west into Balochistan (south west Pakistanand south east Iran) and the Hindu
Kush mountains of what is now Afghanistan. The Empire was expanded into India's central and
southern regions by the emperors Chandragupta and Bindusara, but it excluded a small portion of
unexplored tribal and forested regions near Kalinga (modern Odisha), until it was conquered
by Ashoka. It declined for about 50 years after Ashoka's rule ended, and it dissolved in 185 BCE
with the foundation of the Shunga dynasty in Magadha.

Ashoka is also known for the formulation of a code of conduct urging his subjects towards
observing virtues such as respect for elders, following a path of non-violence and toleration of
people’s beliefs and ideas. His code of conduct was known as the “DHAMMA” and was very
broadly based, so as to include people of all religious denominations. These rules were engraved
on rocks and pillars erected throughout the country. Ashoka also spread the message of
Buddhism through missions sent to Sri Lanka and northwestern India. The mission to Sri Lanka
included his son, Mahinda, who carried with him a sapling from the Bodhi tree, under which
Buddha attained Enlightenment.

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AIMS & OBJECTIVES

 To do a detailed study of Mauryan Administration.

 To study the rise of Mauryan Dynasty.

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

The researcher has relied on Doctrinal Method of research. Various books and websites were
used while preparing this project.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

 What was the earlier background of Chandragupta Maurya ?

 What was the contribution of Kautilya in developing the Mauryan Empire?
 What was the Social, Economic & Political scenario during the Mauryan Period?

 How the Mauryan Dynasty came to an end?

SOURCES AND HISTORY

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There is a great deal of controversy among the scholars regarding the origin of the Mauryans.
Following are some of the different views regarding the origin of the Mauryans that are listed
below.

There were sources like Arthashastra, Mudrakaraksha, Vishnupuran, The Northern black
polished ware, Buddhist & Jain literatures give the reference of Mauryan Dynasty.

According to Spooner, Mauryans were Persians because the social, religious and political
conditions of India and Persia of that time were similar. But most of the scholars disagree with
this view.
According to the second view, which is based on Brahman literature, Mauryans were Shudras.
Different Brahman books had given different versions about the Mauryans.

Some of the views are following –

Purans:
Along with the mention of the destruction of Shishunaga dynasty and establishment of Nanda
dynasty, Puranas also mentions that after this Shudras will rule the country. However, this
sentence is applicable to Nandas and after the destruction of Shishunaga dynasty there were
several dynasties that were definitely Brahmanas. Hence the view does not seem to be correct.

Commentaries of Puranas:
According to a commentator of Vishnu Puran, Chandra Gupta was the son of Nanda through a
wife named Mura. But this view is not acceptable because nowhere in the purans, Chandra Gupta
has been referred as belonging to Nanda dynasty. Moreover, according to Panini's 'Vyakaran', the
word 'Maurya' has not originated from the word 'Mura'.

Mudrarakshas:
VishakhaDatta wrote 'Mudrarakshas' in the 9th century 2. 'Mudrarakshas' mentions Chandra
Gupta as son of Nanda king and is described as 'Vrikhals'. According to some writers 'Vrikhals'

2
Ram Sharan Sharma, India’s Ancient Past[Oxford University Press, New Delhi] 2005

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were Shudras but further study and research has shown that persons condemning caste system
were called 'Vrikhal'. Now here in one of the dramas Chandra Gupta has been described as son
of Nanda through a legitimate wife. It, therefore, appears that the dramatist described him as the
son of illegitimate wife of low caste.

Kautilya 'Arthasastra':
According to Kautilya'sArthasastra, Chanakya crowned Chandra Gupta after destroying the
Nanda dynasty. 3Being a Brahman, Chanakya was a staunch follower of 'Varnashram' system and
would not consent to make a Shudra king in place of Nandas whom he had gone all out to
destroy. Dr. RadhaKumudMookerii says, "It is thus quite absurd to suppose that Kautliya who
was out to rescue this dharma or system from the outrage inflicted upon it by a Shudra
sovereignty, could have chosen as his agent in the fulfillment of his sacred mission a person of
the same disqualification. He could not consecrate to sovereignty one Shudra in place of
another."
Thus it is quite incorrect to say that the Mauryas were Shudra.

Moriya Clan Theory :

Other literary traditions exist in which Chandragupta belonged to the Moriyas,

a kshatriya (warrior) clan of the small, ancient republic of Pippalivana (located between
Rummindei, in the Nepalese Tarai, and Kasia in the Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh).
Tradition suggests that this clan was decimated during the fourth century BC under Magadhan
rule, and Chandragupta grew up with peacock-tamers, herdsmen and hunters.
The Buddhist text Mahavamsa calls Chandragupta a scion of a Khattya (kshatriya) clan named
Moriya (Maurya). Divyavadana calls Bindusara (Chandragupta's son) an
anointed kshatriya (Kshatriya Murdhabhishikata); in the same work, Ashoka (son of Bindusara)
is also called a kshatriya. TheMahaparinibbanaSutta of the Buddhist canon states that the
Moriyas belonged to the kshatriya community of Pippalivana. This tradition indicates that
Chandragupta had a kshatriya lineage. Plutarch confirms the kshatriya origin of Chandragupta.

According to the third view, Mauryans were Kshatriyas.

3
Ram Sharan Sharma, India’s Ancient Past[Oxford University Press, New Delhi] 2005

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This view is based upon the following literature or remains-

Buddhist literature: The entire Buddhist literature describes Mauryans as Kshatriyas.

According to 'Mahavamsa', Chandra Gupta was a Kshatriya called Maurya whom Chanakya
crowned as king after putting an end of the Nanda dynasty 4. 'Mahabodhivamsa' describes
Chandra Gupta as being born in the royal dynasty of Mariyanagara. There is also the mention of
the Kshatriya clan known as the Mariyas of Pipphalivana in 'Dighanikaya'. Moreover,
'Divyadana' describes Bindusara was lawfully anointed Kshatriya king. There is a reference in
'Mahaparinirvana', which says that when lord Buddha attained nirvana, the mariyas of
Pipphalivana sent a message. "You and we are Kshatriyas and so we also enjoy aright to have a
share in the remains of lord Buddha." This quote further confirms that Mauryans were
Kshatriyas.

ADMINISTRATION

4
Late Vincent A. Smith, The Oxford History Of India [ Oxford University Press, New Delhi] 2014

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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 Arthasastra 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) perishes.

The king is called by him dharmapravartaka 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.

Following are the various departments of the Empire-

1. Council of Ministers:
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 numberforthe 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.

2.Amatyas:

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Amatyas were some sort of administrative personnel or civil servants who filled the highest
administrative and judicial appointments. Their pay scales, service rules and method of payment
were clearly laid down. Their role and functions were very important, for all governmental work
proceeded from them.

2. Superintendent or Adhyaksha:
The Central administration was conducted by a highly skilled Superintendents or Adhyakshas
who looked after various departments. Kautilya in the second book of his Arthasastra,
Adhyakshaprachara, gives an account of the working of nearly 27 adhyaksas. Some of the
important officials are mentioned below.

The Akshapataladhyaksha was the Accountant-General who was in charge of the two offices of
currency and accounts. The Sitadhyaksha was the superintendent of the agriculture of crown
lands or government agricultural farms.

The Akaradhyaksha was the superintendent of mining and possessed scientific knowledge of
mines, metallurgy, gems and precious stones. Lavananyadhyaksha was the salt superintendent, as
the manufacture of salt was a government monopoly.

Navadhyaksha was the Superintendent of Ports who controlled traffic and transit by waterways.
The Panyadhyaksha was the controller of commerce who was in the charge of the control of
supply, purchase and sale of commodities.

The Sulkadhyaksa was the collector of customs and tolls. TheSuradhyaksha was the Superin-
tendent of Excise who controlled the manufacture and sale of liquor. Pautavadhyaksha was the
superintendent of weights and measures. The Lakshanadhyaksha was the superintendent of the
mint, etc.

3. 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.

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The army of Chandragupta, according to Pliny, included 6, 00,000 foot soldiers, 30,000 cavalries
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 5(Padadhyaksha), cavalry (asvadhyaksha),
war elephants (hastyadhyaksha), navy (navadhyaksha), chariots (rathadhyaksha), 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 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
mahamatyapasarpa, 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.

4. Revenue Department:

5
Ram Sharan Sharma, India’s Ancient Past[Oxford University Press, New Delhi] 2005

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The central administration was conducted through a number of offices largely relating to the con-
trol of the revenue, and each under particular officer.

Sannidhata:
The treasurer was responsible for the storage of royal treasure, and of the state income both in
cash and kind.

Samaharta:
He was in charge of collection of revenue from various parts of the kingdom and looked after the
income and expenditure by supervising the works of the akshapataladhyaksha (Accountant
General). Sources of revenue as listed in the Arthasastra, include that of cities, land, mines,
forests, roads, tolls, fines licences, manufactured products, merchandise of various kinds and
precious stones.

Kautilya refers to some other kinds of income such as Senabhaktam, the punitive tax imposed by
the army on the region through which it passed, and Pindakara, a fixed commuted tax
contributed by the villages from time to time.

The Accountant-General kept the accounts both of the kingdom and the royal household. He was
assisted by a body of clerks (Karmikas). The chief source of revenue was the land tax which was
one-sixth to one-fourth of the produce and was collected by the revenue officer, agronomoi, who
measured the land, levied the tax and collected it.

The second major source of income was toll- tax which was imposed on all articles (except
grain, cattle and a few other items). This tax was approximately 10 percent. Shudras, artisans and
others who survived on manual labour had to work free for one day in each month.

Strabo mentions that craftsmen (except royal craftsmen), herdsmen and husbands men all paid
taxes. The king’s own estate or royal lands yielded income called sita. Two kinds of taxes, bali
and bhaga, are referred to in the Ashokan edicts.6

6
RomilaThapar, The Penguin History of India [Penguin Books, New Delhi] 2002

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The Rummindei Edict records that the village of Lumbini, where the Buddha was born, was
exempted from bali and was to pay only one eighth of the bhaga. Bhaga was levied on
agricultural produce and the cattle at the rate of one-sixth (Shadabhaga) whereas Bali was a
religious tribute7. According to the Arthasastra, the Brahmins, women, children, armourers, sons
and the king’s men were exempted from paying tax.

5. 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 –
dharmasthiyas (dealing with civil matters) and kantakasodhanas (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 bandhanagara was different from
the police lock-up called Charaka.

6. Provincial and Local Administration:

Apart from the metropolitan area which was directly governed, the empire was divided into four
provinces, each under a prince or member of the royal family (Kumara and Aryaputra). Under
7
Ram Sharan Sharma, India’s Ancient Past[Oxford University Press, New Delhi] 2005

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Asoka, there were four provinces: the Northern Province (Uttarapatha) with the capital at Taxila,
western province (Avantiratha) with the headquarters at Ujjain, eastern province (Prachyapatha)
with the centre at Tosali and the southern province (Dakshinapatha) with its capital as
Swarnagiri.

The central province Magadha, with its capital at Pataliputra was also the headquarters of the
entire kingdom. The viceroy had the power to appoint some of his officials such as the
Mahamattas, who went on tour every five years.

The most important provinces such as Taxila and Ujjain were directly under the command of the
princes (Kumaras). Provinces were subdivided into districts for purposes of administration and
groups of officials were in charge of a district. The three major officials of the provinces were
thepradesika, the rajuka and the yukta.

The pradesika was in charge of the overall administration of a district – supervising the
collection of revenue and of maintaining law and order both in the rural areas and in the towns
within his district. The rajuka was responsible for surveying and assessing land.

Megasthenes probably referred them as agronomicand they formed the backbone of the rural
administration. The yuktas appear to have been subordinate officials whose duties were largely
secretarial work and accounting.

There was an intermediate level of administration between the district level and that of the
village. The unit here was formed by a group of five or ten villages. The two important officials
concerned with the administration of this unit were the gopa and the sthanika.

The gopa worked as an accountant to the unit. His duties included the setting up of village
boundaries, keeping a census of the population of each village according to their tax-paying
capacity, their professions and their age, noting the livestock of each village, etc. The tax was
collected by the sthanika who worked directly under the Pradesika.

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Village (grama) was the smallest unit of administration and enjoyed autonomy to a great extent.
Individual villages must have had their own set of officials who were directly responsible to the
gopas.

The head of the village was called gramika who was assisted by gram-viddhas or village elders.
Gramika was not a paid servant; he was chosen from amongst the village elders. He may have
supervised the tax collection of the village and other matters such as discipline and defence.

7. Municipal Administration:
The Arthasastra mentions the nagaraka or city superintendent who was responsible for the main-
tenance of law and order in the city. He was assisted by two subordinate officials, the gopa and
the sthanika. Asokan inscriptions mention the nagalaviyohalakamahamattas 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.

8. Spy system:

The mauryas also had a spy system. Kanthakshodhana was the criminal court presided over the
three Pradeshtris or Amatyas who were assisted by an army.

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CONCLUSIONS & SUGGESTIONS

This project sums up the key findings about the mauryan administration.

Megasthenese speaks of Mauryan society as comprising seven castes-philosophers, farmers,

soldiers, herdsmen, artisans, magistrates and councillors. He could not properly comprehend the
Indian society and failed to distinguish between jati, Varna and the occupation. The chaturvana
system continued to govern the society. But the craftsmen irrespective of jati enjoyed a high
place in the society. The material growth mellowed the jati restrictions and gave people
prosperity and respectability. The urban way of life developed. The residential accommodation
and its wealth etc were entered into official records and rules and regulation were well defined
and strictly implemented. The education is fairly wide spread. Teaching continued to be the main
job of the Brahmans. But Buddhist monasteries also acted as educational institutions. Taxila,
Ujjayini and Varanasi were famous educational institutions. The technical education was
generally provided through guilds, where pupils learnt the crafts from the early age. In the
domestic life the joint family system was the norm. A married woman had her own properly in
the form of bride gift and jewels.

Economy of Mauryan Empire witnessed a well organized tax system devised by Kautilya. Land
revenue was going to be a major source of income from the government. Land was subjected to
regular assessments and an appropriate level of tax was levied. Industries and enterprises were
also taxed. The government also introduced the concept of state owned farms. The king owned
the land and his subjects were employed for its cultivation. Crops were used to sustain the
population that worked on it and the surplus was taken by the government. This policy of the
government eased the problem of overpopulation.

A stable centralized government and the unity of the sub-continent resulted in the rapid
development of industry. Trade received a major boost as did various craft guilds. Able
administration ensured that trade became easier, and the guilds soon developed into small scale

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industries. The development of guilds was an important step. Guilds were large organizations
which employed labour for a particular commodity. Artisans joined the guilds as it provided
steady employment and was easier. The government also found the guilds convenient as they
also made the process of tax collection and administration easier.

The economy of Mauryan Empire was sound. Agriculture was the principal backbone of
Mauryan Economy. The cultivators were the most numerous classes. Land revenue was the
principal source of state income.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS:

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 RomilaThapar, THE PENGUIN HISTORY OF EARLY INDIA [ Penguin
Books, New Delhi], 2002
Late Vincent A. Smith, THE OXFORD HISTORY OF INDIA [Oxford
University Press, New Delhi], 2014
Ram Sharan Sharma, INDIA’S ANCIENT PAST[Oxford University Press,
New Delhi], 2005
RomilaThapar, Readings in Early Indian History [Oxford University Press,
New Delhi], 2013

WEBSITES:

www.wikipedia.com
www.importantindia.com
www.themauryanempire.blogspot.in
www.mauryaindiasidniejones.weebly.com
www.historydiscussion.net

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