The Maurya Administration System was Efficient and Monarchical. The King of The Maurya Government was the head of the Mauryan Empire Administration. The Mauryan Empire had the privileged of having successful administrators such as Chandragupta Maurya, Bindusara Maurya and Ashoka The Great. The Mauryan Empire had an efficient and centralised administrative system. The Chief source of information regarding administration under the Mauryan Empire is Chanakya’s work, Arthashastra. Magasthenes also gives some information in his book, Indika.

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2.  The Maurya Administration System was Efficient and
Monarchical. The King of The Maurya Government was
the head of the Mauryan Empire Administration.
 The Mauryan Empire was founded by Chandragupta
Maurya in 322 B.C. His expansion took advantage of
the disruptions of local powers in the wake of the
withdrawal westward by Alexander the Great’s armies.
 The Mauryan Empire had the privileged of having
successful administrators such as Chandragupta
Maurya, Bindusara Maurya and Ashoka The Great..
 The Chief source of information regarding
administration under the Mauryan Empire is
Chanakya’s work, Arthashastra. Magasthenes also
gives some information in his book, Indika.

3.  The king was the supreme power and source of all authority.
 He was assisted by a Council of Ministers. It was called ‘Mantriparishad’. The
ministers were called ‘Mantris.’
 The council was headed by ‘Mantriparishad-Adhyakshya’ akin to the Prime
Minister of today.
 Tirthas: the Highest category of officials in the administration. There were 18
Tirthas.
 Adhyakshya: Ranked next only to Tirthas. There were 20 Adhyakshyas. They had
economic and military functions.

4.  Mahamattas: Higher ranking officials.
 Amatyas: High ranking officials almost like present-day secretaries. They had
administrative and judicial roles.
 The Adhyakshyas were formed into a secretariat, which was divided into many
departments.
 Arthashastra mentions many Adhyakshyas for commerce, storehouses, gold,
ships, agriculture, cows, horses, city, chariots, mint, infantry, etc.
 Yuktas: Subordinate officers responsible for the king’s revenue.
 Rajjukas: Officers in charge of land measurement and boundary-fixing.
 Sansthadhyasksha: Superintendent of mint
 Samasthadhyasksha: Superintendent of markets.

5.  Sulkaadhyaksha: Superintendent of tolls.
 Sitaadhyaksha: Superintendent of agriculture
 Navadhyaksha: Superintendent of ships
 Lohadhyaksha: Superintendent of iron
 Pauthavadhyakhsa: Superintendent of weights and measures
 Akaradhyaksha: Superintendent of mines
 Vyavharika Mahamatta: Judiciary officers
 Pulisanj: Public relations officers.

6.  The smallest unit of administration was the village.
 Head of a village: Gramika Villages had a lot of autonomy.
 Pradeshika was the provincial governors or district magistrates.
 Sthanika: Tax collectors working under Pradeshikas.
 Durgapala: Governors of forts.
 Antapala: Governors of frontiers.
 Akshapatala: Accountant General
 Lipikaras: Scribes.

7.  The commander-in-chief of the entire military was called Senapati and
his position was next to the king’s. He was appointed by the king.
 The military was divided into five sectors namely, infantry, cavalry,
chariots, elephant forces, navy and transport & provisions.
 The army’s salary was paid in cash.
MAURYAN ADMINISTRATION

8.  The espionage system of the Mauryas was well-developed.
 There were spies who informed the king about the bureaucracy and markets.
 There were two types of spies: Sansthana (stationary) and Sanchari
(wanderer).
 Gudhapurushas were the detectives or secret agents.
 They were controlled by the Mahamatyapasarpa. These agents were picked
from different segments of society.
 There were also agents called Vishakanyas (poisonous girls).

9.  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).

10.  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 sthniya in the midst of 800 villages, a dronamukha in 400 villages,
a kharvatika in 200 villages and a sangrahana in 10 villages.
 Jail was called Bandhangara and lock-up was known as Charaka.
 The transport department fixed the width of the chariots, cattle tracks and
pedestrians.

11.  The revenue department chief was called Samharta.
 Another important official was Sannidhata (treasurer).
 Revenue was collected on land, irrigation, shops, customs, forests, ferry,
mines and pastures. License fees were collected from artisans and fines
were charged in the law courts.
 Most of the land revenue was one-sixth of the produce.
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