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continuation...
CENTRAL ADMINISTRATION-I1
C e r t a i n & h e r a r e a s of a dmi n i s t r a t i o n also c a m e u n d e r t h e purview of c e n t r a l
a d m i n i s t r a t i o n . H o w e v e r , in s o m e cases like public welfare wo r k s . t h e i r
imp l e r n c n t a t i o n d e p e n d e d o n various lucal ;tdministr;itive u n i t s .
20.4.1 Army
T h e N a n d a kings h a d a s t r o n g a r m y . a n d i t i s i n t e r e s t i n g t h a t t h e arniv which Kautilya
a n d C h a n d r a g u p t a had raised to defeirt t h c N a n d a King consisted of m e r c e n a r y
s o l d i e r s . B o t h t h e G r e e k a n d Indian literary s o u r c e s r e f e r t o this. L a t e r o n t h e size
a n d o r g a n i s a t i o n o f C h a n d r a g u p t n ' s a rmy b e c a m e fairl!: l a r g e . F o r e x a m p l e .
: ~ c c o r d i n g to Pliiiy's acc\>uiit i t co11siste{i 01' 0000 c!cpharit\. .30000 cavalry a n d 6000
i n f a n t r y . ~ l u t a r c h ' s a c c o u n t r e f e r s t o 6(clO e l e p h a n t s . 80000 h o r s e s . 20000 f o o t
s o l d i e r s a n d 8000 wnr c h a r i o t s . accourlts ma y bc exaggerated b u t t h e r e t r e a t
of S e l e u c u s . descriptive a c c o u n t of a r m y a d m i n i s t r a t i o ~ l in A r t h a s a s t r a a n d t h e violent
Kalinga wa r in As o k a ' s t ime point t o w a r d s a l a r g e a n d well o r g a n i s c d military s e t u p
u n d e r t h e Maurya!. Ac c o r d i n g t o Me g a s t t l e n e s r h e b r a n c h e s c ~ f t h e a r m y consisted o f :
i n f a n t r y ,
c a v a l r y ,
e l e p h a n t s ,
a c h a r i o t s .
t r a n s p o r t , a n d
a dmi r a l of t h e fleet
E a c h b r a n c h was l o o k e d a f t e r by a c o r nmi t t c e of 5 m e m b e r s . Ka u t i l y a h a s r e f e r r e d t o
Chaturangabala ( i . e . i n f a n t r y , c a v a l r y , c h a r i o t s a n d elephants) a s t h e m a i n
c o m p o n e n t s of t h e a r m y - e a c h u n d e r a c o m m a n d e r
The oficers and soldiers were paid in cash. 😛😛
Salaries of Army Offcers
Senapati - 48000 Pana
Nay aka - 12000,Pana
Mukhyas - 8000 Pana
Adhyakshas - 4000 Pana
There was a separate department to look after the production and maintenance of
a variety of armaments whose chief was known as Ayudhagaradhyaksha.
There is a detailed description of the work of various Adhyakshas. For example the
Rathadhyaksha also had to look after the construction of chariots and the
Hiastyadhyaksha looked after the elephant force. The Arthasastra also refers to the
recruitment policy, war plans and fortificaiions, etc.
There is no doubt that the state spent a large amount of revenue in maintaining its
army, which in the long run might have adversely affected its treasury.
Espionage
The Mauryan administration had a well knit system of espionage. A watch was kept
practically on all important officials as well as on general public. The main tasks of
the spies recruited involved:
keeping an eye over .the ministers,
reporting on government officials,
collecting impressions regarding the feelings of citizens, and
know the secrets of foreign rulers, etc.
For these activities they would seek the help of various people like cooks, barbers,
etc. They would themselves adopt various guises like ascetics, students,etc., to seek
information. At times they even directly reported to the King on matters of
importance. In fact the Arthasastra mentions a well knit system of espoinage
Justice and Punishment
In order to maintain social order, smooth functioning of the administrative system
and flow of revenues to the state an orderly legal system was established under the
Mauryas. The Arthasastra is full of codes listing punishments for various offences.
These included a vast range from violation of mamage laws, divorce, murder
adulteration, wrong weights, etc. There were various kinds of courts to try the
offenders of law or settle disputes at various levels. If the Gramika had judicial
powers at the village level there were also courts at the level of Janapada and the
centre. Two kinds of courts are mentioned in the Arthasastra:
1) Dharmasthiya i.e. courts which decided personal disputes.
2) kanyakosodhan i.e., courts which decided upon matters related to individuals and
the state.
For examplk, the first kind of courts would settle issues related to disputes over
S t r i d hana ~ (wife's wealth) or marriages etc., and the second category of courts dealt
wiih wages to workers, conduct of workers, murder, etc. The courts functioned under
certain regulations. Cases were properly registered and ample opportunity given to
produce witnesses and plead on one's behalf. The sources of law, as mentioned by
Kautilya, were:
1)dharma
2) Vyavahara r i.e., current legal codes
3) Chraritra i.c., customs, and
4) Raj~sasana i.e., the royal decree.
The king was the upholder of Dharma and held the supreme judicial power.
According t o Megasthenes the incidence of crime committed in Maurya India was
not very high. But the range of punishments mentioned in the Arthasastra indicates
that breach of laws and crime were not uncommon in the Mauryan social fabric.
Hence, the need for a severe Penal code. However, due stress was laid o n evidence
and the witness. Cases were decided by a "body o f arbitrators' with a system of appeal
t o the king. However, it is worth mentioning here that the penalties in ArthasastPa
were based o n Varna hierarchies meaning that for t h e same kind of offence a
Brahmana was punished much less severely than a Sudra.
Anupamaa
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
Cricket
