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The Mauryan Polity .The Maury an Polity Madras University Historical Series, No. Vlll Ge11cral Editor· K. A., NILAKANTA SASTRI, M.A.' /'rP/mPr P{ h/dia11 Hitlory ami ArthatPIPgy, U11it11rsily P( A-l~~tiral .. /~· THE MAURYAN POLITY .THE MAURY AN POLITY BY. "· ' • /1 V. R. RAMACHANDRA DIKSHITAR,. M.A... Lecturer in Indian History, University ol MailriiS 11 Author~ " Hindu Administrative Institutions · .· ,.. -- ... ~.. - ... • and " Studi~ in ~amil literal~ and History " l UNIVERSITY OF MADRAS 1932' PRINTED AT THE MADRAS LAW JOURNAL. l'RESS MYLAPORE, MAD!L'S 1932 CONTENTS PAGE PB.EFATORY Non vii-viii CHAP.'~ I •. Sources of Information. · Section i. Jlte evidence of the Pural}aS 1 ~ Section ii. Contemporary Literature 6 Section iii. Evidence of classical writers 27 Section iv. _Inscriptions of A5oka · 39. II. The Extent 3.!1d Character of the Empire. / Section i. The extent of the Empire 49 . SectiOn. ii. The limits of the Empire in Hindustan -·. 66 Section iii. The character of the Empire 71 · Section iv. The ends of the Mauryan State • 80 fiL The Central ,Administration. Section i. The character of :Mauryan monarchy 85 Stction ii. Education. and Discipline of . Princes • _ 101 Section iii. _Personal safety of the monarch. 1aJ Section iv. Some HabitS of the Kmg 111 Section v. DutieS' of the King .·: 115 Section vi. Privileges- of the King 120 • IV. The Central Administration-( Co11td.) '-'Section i. The Council and the Assembly •• • 125 \...-Section ii. · The Paura-Janapada 135· V"Section iii. .Departments of Taxation and ~unu 141 ~ection iv. AdministratiOn of Justice 160 vi CHAP. PAGE V. The Central Administra!ion....:( Contd.) ~ ~ection i. The M~litary Syste~ · 177 Section ii. Foreign Policy . 179 Section iii. Ethics of War . • 186 Section iv. Tlie Organiiation of the Army • • 189 .. ~- ~ ' Section v. ·The War Office ~ ..• 192 .Section vi. Conclusion 195 VI. ·Provincial and Local Governments. Se~tiop. i. A general ~urvey 197 Section ii. · Local Administration in t~e Kaut~liya 2()4. · Section iii. The Government of. the Province~.) 208 . ·Section iv. Maui')·an Civil Service · 222 Section v. Administration 'of- To~ns 228 VII.' · Mauryan State in Relation to Dharma. · · · Se~tion i. The ~oncept of Dharma 241 Section ii. Dharma and the State 245 . · . Section ·iii. Asoka's Dharma 250 · Section iv. Personal Religion of Candragupta _ · Maurya · · 260 Section v. · Asoka's P~rsonal Religion 276 . .APPENDIX. I. The Authenticity of the Kautaliya 301 ;II. Megasthenes and Kautalya 329 I . BooKS"coNSULTED • • 375 INDEX· •..• • 385 PREFATORY NOTE THE accompanying pages are an amplification of five lectures delivered at the Uiliversiti in 1929-30. The main sources ~f i~formation are the Kautaliya Arthasastra, ·the inscriptions of A5oka and the fragments of Megasthenes. In the first chapter will be found acritica1 examination of their authenticity and their yalue as sources to the history of . Mauryan India. • I have come to the conclusion that the · extant Arthasastra is the accredited work of the chancellor of Candragupta Maurya. The inscriptions of Asoka follow, to a large extent, this all important treatise. Though the fragments of Megasthenes could not be credited with much trustworthiness, they are used as supplementing the primary . ) sources. •• . On~ chapter is devo~ed to the characte~ and extent of the Empire. Three chapters on the Central Administration, and one on the Provincial and LoCal Governments follow. A careful comp~rison between 1he Kautaliyan polity and the polity lying behind· the inscriptions of Asoka, confirms the view, as' will be seen from these chapters, that the polity behind the Edicts is the Kautaliyan polity. The last chapter is on the religion of the Mauryas in genera~ and that of Candragupta and of Asoka in particular. A critical study of th~ relennt inscriptions, not to speak of literary: evidences, has led me to conclude that neither Asoka was a Bmldhist nor C~nd~agupta a Jain. The correspondences between the Arthasastra texts and the text of the inscriptions of ASoka arc so glaring that it would be far from the truth to postulate the theory that the viii <lumb documents left to us as legacy by Asoka are essentially · religious in tone or in character... In the li~ht of new .inter­ pretations suggested for different terms and passages of the edicts,. it is foun.d tl~at the inscriptions contain much reliable data to re-construct the political history of Asoka a~d his predecessors. In this re-construction of institutions, religious• and political, checked· and verified wherever possible from the accounts of classical writers, an endeavour is made to establish a. thesis as to the character of the Goven1ment pf the time. The constitution was a .benevole~t . form of monarchy with democratic institutions,· almost modem in character. · ~ My grateful acknowledgments are.due' to Professors S. Krishnaswami Aiyangar and K.. A. Nilakanta Sastri for valuable suggestions and guidance in the whole work •.. .. ' . LIMBDI GARDENS, J· MADRAS, . .v. R. RAMACHANDRA DIKSJIITAR. lltla .!tdy, 1932 •. INDEX. A · Aranacartl, 205. · Army, of the Kiatriya, the best Abdication of Candragupta, 88. hereditary equipment of, 189, Abhidharma, 29-l. 19tH. Abhihara, 218. Army, officers of,· 193; orgauisa· Abbityakta puru$3S, Z22. tion of, 195. Abhifecaniya, 87. · - Artisans, protection to, 229-30. Aa:ouots, 1.54; Department of, Artlrasamtana, 259. maintaining. 156. Arri.an, 30, 35-7, 97, 190, m. 336, Administration of public aJfairs, 344, 361. · 364 · · · Arsenal department. 189. Aelia~ on mecliciu31 plantS, lo9~ . ~irthaiifst;a, 23, 85. Agui, 23. • ·· . Alla form of marriage, 340. · Agnyagara, 26-1. .Ar:rat•llra, 202,214. · Agrohara.r,153. ·: Ar;rasU.-a, 322. · · AluJnanijn, 58. Artha5a.st.ra, on the silk of shin Alwla, 202-3. • country; and P3J}ini, 8-10, and Ahimsilj 289. sUJ'Ullg3, 16-17; and Yajiiaval.: AilartJtl Br4htno~a, 67, 87. kya, 20-23; ..Religion$· data of, Aiyangar, Dr. S. J(. Views of, 77. 2J..U; astronomical data of, 25· Aiyangar, Raghan.ll, Pa.J:ldit, 61. 27. · · - ·: Aiyangar, R:lngaswami. 8, 316. Asceticism opened to all castes, 273~ · AjiYiJca,.84. 285.. 362. ... · Ak.pJta/4la, 157. • AsiDtie Ruearclus,180. · ·· · • · Alasan~ 69..... ASoka, 4-5, 12, 15; not a legislatOr. Albenmi. 16, J.l. 92-94, 98-100; K$a.triya, 275; A~emy, 339, ·. Buddhist insal..Ptions of, 278; no Alexander,16-17, 3J9, 351, ~. monk, 280-1; and Bralunans, Alliances, nature and kin~ o£,18-t. 277-8 and the Third Council, · Ata~l,a,l7L . 2924. Amitraghata, 54. ~ka's dharma. lh:e practical as- .Amalaia, 96. .. pect, 25()-1; the doctrinal aspect, AnGWsita so••tlhi,185. 252; non-sectarian in character, Alfcitnl India" Historical l)ocli· 45. · · littn, Z. ASoka's laith and archaeology, · ~11ebmdhya, 226.. 295-7• .4ngultoronik4Ja, 243. Aioka and Kaliiiga rebellion, 55. Animal capitals of A5oka, 297-8. Aiouw.diina, 87,168. Animal sports. 114. · · . .tliara'Uija'ya, 129. AnointingceremopY; age limit to, AS~ 192. 87. Asvins, 23. · Anta.maha.mat.ras. {unctions of. H9, A#ablliiga, 143. 212·3. All44iJGri, 9. 'Anlatala, l-IS, 204--S, ZJl. Atharvan rites, 2fiJ. AniU6my411am, 132, 227. Atharva Veda, 326: . Atoclt.itr, 309-10. _ . .Atmatali)'G, 218. Apastamba.14, 308. Atmaro.fitam, J.IS. H.--49 386 INDEX AlaviLala, 190. Brlwd kathiikoia, 52, 306. Atl•abllaga, 143. Brhadratha, 4. A;;yaya1 10. Brhaspati, 20. Ayuktapuru~as, 222. Breloer, 13, 349. Ayudhagaradhya~a, 189. Buddha, 273. Buddhagho~a, 293. Buddhism, 5; a monastic sect, 245; B a child of Hinduism, 260-1. Buddhism and lay adherent, 281. Bt~ddhist India, 271. Balmmnk/aya, 226. Buddhist legends on Asoka. 276-7. B~darayava, 308. Buddhist Trinity, ?:19. Birhaspatyasastra, 306. Biihler, 3, 14, 43,_ 217, t'/6, 343. Bairat Rock, 41, 198. Burgess, 27, 83. Balakrida, 20. Bala5ri, 70. Bali, 143• 283. c Balhava, 7, Batadlwt~agarad/UJyak.sa, 172. Cab:avarti }4etra, 327. Bandupa.Jita, 4. Calcutta Baira~ its signiJicance, Barabar Hill,. 41, 198, 285. 282; sacred texts in, 233; chro- Barua, B. M., 286n. nology, 283. · Bandhajan!l, 308. Cat~tf.alas, 164, 205. Beadon, C., 41. Candragupta and Jaina tradition, B_ell Capital; 298; SQ-51. · ...: Benares, 155. Candragu_pta, 3, 4, 6, 86,'185. B/UJdrabal•t~carita, SZ. Capital punishment. 165. Bhadrabihusvamin, 51, 265. Calurt•arga, 29, 316. Bhadrasiiva, 4 Caraka, 172. Bhagavad GittJ, 253, 214. Caritra, 160. Bhandarkar, D. R. 43, 98_; 227, Castes an economic classification, 277-9, 247. Bhattasvamin, 7. Castes and professions. 352-3. Bluwi.sya Pt~ra'.I(J, 14. Cadi, 9. Bhabra Edict, 41, 279. Ci\takya, 19, so, 52, 262, 310, 320, Bhiiga,14Z. • 352. Blaiigawta Puriil)a, 3, 271. Caturflla.sya,114. Blliija,284. · Census, a permanent institution, Bhisa, 12, 18-19. 232. Bheda,178. Central government and provinces, JJhik.tflgatika, 280. 208-9. Bhisma, 326. Ceran Seii.guttuvan, 65. Bh1lmisa"dhi, 185. Ceylon chronicles, 88. Bindusara, 4, SO, 52. Chanda Ramaprasad, 274, 298. Bismarck, 303. Chandasoka, 130. Board of supply and commissariat, Cha11dog;ya, 14. 189. China, 1. Board of Trade, 233. Clmllavagga, 294. Boutta, 371. 1 Cipher writing, 181. Brahman, 346, 348. Civil list. 150-St.- 'Bracl:pnane, 370. Ci11a, 6-8. Bral•madeya, 153,365. Cinapafla,?. Brahmiil)da Pt~riil)a, 3, Colas, 57. ' Brhadasva, 4. Colebrookc, H. T., fO. · Brhadiiratsaka npaHi.sad, 243. Commander-in-chic , qualliications Brllad devata, 11. and duties of, 193. · , INDEX Commissariat, 368. Dharmavasalbina~, 211. Council, not a mere advisory body, Dharmavijaya, 56, 1zs.9, 254-7. 134-S. Dbarmaspka, 130. Common will, principle of, 86. Dhauli Rock Edict, 41, 198, 238, Cora-rajjuka, 216,365. Dhrtari~tra, 178. Corpus Iuscriptio11um Imlicarum, Dhyana Yoga, 2734. 43. Dikpalas, 297. Conncil, chamber of, 125; composi­ Diodorus, 30, 36, 38, 189. tion of, 126-7 ; members of, 127 Dionysius, 38, 183. f. ; and the king, 128, 130: no Dionysos, 370.
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