Rise of MagadhaLimits of Aryans area extended to up to Vindhyas

There were 16 Mahajapadas with in the Aryans area.

Kamboja, Assaka, Vasta, Surasena, Chedi, Malla, Kuru, Panchala, Matsya, Anga, Kosala, Magadha, Kashi, Anga, Avanti, Gandhara,

Rise of Magadha:Ambitious attacks of Magadha rulers

Richest iron deposits were enable them to make weapons The two capitals of Magadha i.e Rajagriha and Pataliputra

located very strategic points.

• Rajagriha was surrounded by a group of five hills and so it was rendered impregnable (vaihara, varaha, vrishabha and chaityaka)

• Pataliputra (Kusumapura) were situated at the confluence of the Ganga, the Gandak and the son and Ghagra

• Pataliputra was a true water fort ( jaladurga) as it was surrounded by rivers on almost all sides.

Magadha 5 B.C

Nandan Dynasty

Chandra Gupta Maurya

Asoka

Mauryan Empire 321BC-185BC

Kautilya’s Arthasastra

Visakhadatta’s Mudrarakshasa

Religious sources

Brahimanical texts, Buddhist literature

Sri Lankan Chronicles: Dipavamsa and

Mahavamsa

Tibitan and Chainese Buddhist sources

Megasthenes: Indica

Archaeological sources: inscriptions of Asoka

Chandra Gupta Maurya 321-295 B.C

Bindusara: 297-272 B.C

Asoka: 268-232 B.C

Last ruler :Brihadradha

• Central administration • Provincial administration• Local administration

Empire (King)

Provinces Kumaras/ nobles

District (Pradesika)

Village (Gramika)

Empire level Administration• King was the supreme regarding general

administration, military and Justice• A council of ministers or advisory body to advise the

king in the administration.

• Purohita, Senapati, Mahamantri and Yuvaraja acted as ministers

• Amatyas: administrative personnel or civil servants. All type of appointments

• Superintendent or Adhyakshas ( heads of various departments)

• 27 adhyakshas in central administration

• Akshapataladhyaksha was the Accountant-General

• Sitadhyaksha : Agriculture• Navadhyaksha: Superintendent of Ports • Punyadhyaksha: commerce• Sulkadhyaksha: Collection of customs and

tolls

Military Department It was under the control of senapatiThere were six wings of adhayakshas under

senapati i.e. infantry (Padadhyaksha )Cavalry ( asvadhayaksha)War elephants( hastyadhyaksha)Navy ( Navadhyaksha)Chariots ( rathadhyaksha)Armory ( ayudhagaradhyaksha)

Revenue Department: It was under control of an account general called Akshapataldhyaksa

Sannidata: storage of royal treasure and of the state income both cash and kind

Samaharta: collection of revenue from various parts of kingdom

The chief source of revenue was the land tax which was 1/6 to ¼ of the produce

Sources of revenue: through mines, forests, tolls, fines, licenses, manufactured products and merchandise of various types of stones

Judicial Administration:King was the fountain head of law and justice

Source of law: Dharma ( Sacred Law) vyavahara ( usage)Charitam ( customs and precedents)

DharmasteyaKantaksodhanas

There were special courts in the cities and villages presided over by the pradesika, Mahamatras and rajuks

• Pradeshika were the principal police officers, whose duty was to investigate the crimes committed in the region within their jurisdiction.

• A separate police station established in every 800, 400, 200 and 10 villages.

Provincial administrationThe empire was divided into four provinces

Uttarapatha Taxila Dakshinapura Suvarnagiri

Avantipura Ujjain Prachyapatha Tosali

• Viceroy was the head of the provincial administration

• Viceroy had the powers to appoint some of his official such as the Mahamattas, who went on tour very five years.

• Provinces were subdivided into district for purposes of administration

District• Pradesika: General administration• Rajuka: Surveying and assessing land• Yukta : secretarial work and accounting

Tahsil administrationA group of five or ten villages formed as tahsil Gopa: setting of village boundaries, census of

population Stanika: tax collector (under pradesika)

Village administrationSmallest unit of administration and it enjoyed

autonomy to a great extentGramika was the head of village and he was

assisted byGram-vrudhas

Municipal administrationNagara: head of town

The city was administered by a council of 30 members divided into 6 boards

Board of industriesBoard for ForeignersBoard of CensusBoard for Trade and CommerceBoard for manufactured goodsBoard for taxes