Mauryan Empire: Administration, Ideals & Divisions:- The governance of the vast Mauryan empire, which stretched from parts of eastern Iran to Mysore was a formidable undertaking. News would taken months to travel from Paropanisus ( Kabul) to Pataliputra.
Rural Republics:- Ancient India was built upon the basis of decentralization on principle. It did not believe in centralisation of authority, resulting in a system of over- government of the people.
Every village was self governing. There were also unions of villages as self-governing federations. Ancient India was thus built up as a vast rural democracy. Rural politics was independent of state -politics.
India owes the preservation of her culture to her self-governing villages or rural republics in which it was centred through the long course of her history which has seen so many changes of sovereignty & political revolutions.
Megasthenes has described how the bulk of India's population who were living as agriculturists were exempted from military service & very often found working freely, even in sight of a battle raging close by.
Megasthenes says in 'Indica':- " Whereas among other nations, it is usual in the contests of war, to ravage the soil & reduce it to an uncultivated waste, among the Indians on contrary, by whom husbandmen are regarded as a class that is sacred & inviolable.
The tillers of the soil, even when a battle is raging nearby, are undisturbed by any sense of danger, for the combatants on either side, in a conflict, make a carnage of each other, but allow those engaged in husbandry to remain unmolested.
Besides, they (Indians) , neither ravage the enemy's land with fire, nor cut down its trees."
Further, Megasthenes says:- " The husbandmen appear to be far numerous than the others. Moreover, being exempted from fighting & other public services, they devote their whole time to tillage.
Nor an enemy coming upon, will do them any injury, as they are considered as public benefactors & are protected from all injury. The land thus remaining undamaged, produce heavy crops, supplies the inhabitants with all that is required to make life very enjoyable.
The husbandmen themselves, with their wives & children, live in countryside & entirely avoid going into town either to take part in tumults or for any other purposes."
Dharma as Sovereign:- Hindu thought counts 'Dharma' as a true sovereign of the state, as the rule of law. The king is the executive called the 'Danda' to uphold & enforce the decree of Dharma as a spiritual sovereign.
The king, or the temporal sovereign is not the source of law in the Hindu state. The sources of law are above & beyond him. They are not king's creation. He has only to see their observance.
Sources of Law:-,Accord to Manu, the sources of law are :-1) Veda or Sruti, 2) Smriti or Dharma Shastra, 3) Sila or code of conduct enjoined by the Shastras, 4) Achara, or the manners & customs of holy men.
It was provided that doubtful points of Dharma arising out of primary sources of law, were to be decided by a body of legal experts called a 'parishad'.
Varnashrma Dharma:- It needs to be pointed out that the Dharma for which the Hindu state stood for in Ancient India is known as 'varnashrma Dharma'.
It was the law that regulated the occupations of different castes of people, & duties of life depending on its different stages called'Ashramas'.
The Hindu scheme of life determines its duties normally in accordance with caste, I.e birth & heredity & also with age. Each varna or caste & each 'Ashrama' is to follow its 'svadharma', its own dharma , to which one must be true.
Duties of different castes:- The duties of a Brahmin are:1) Learning ( Adhyayanam), 2) Teaching ( Adhyapanam), 3) Worship ( Yajanam), 4) Conducting Worship, 5) Making gifts ( Dana), 6) Receiving gifts ( Pratigraha).
The Kshatriya has to observe (1),(3), & (5) , of the points listed & in addition has to follow two more special duties; a) the pursuit of arms ( sastrajiva) ; b) Defence of his country ( Bhuta- rakshanam, protection of all living beings).
The Vaisya is to observe (1),(3),(5), but is also to follow occupations like a) agriculture, b) Cattle - rearing & c) trade.
The Sudra's duties - ) service of first three castes, 2) agriculture, 3) cattle -rearing & trade, 4) Craftsmanship.
Duties of different Ashrams:- There four ages of life called the 'Asramas', I.e 1) Brahmachari (student), 2) Grihsta ( married state), 3) Vanaprastha ( forest dweller), 4) Parivrajaka, or Sanyas ( wandering ascetic)
The duties of Brahmachari are stated to be: 1) Study of the Vedas ( Svadhyaya), 2) worship & offering to fire ( Agnikarya- bhishekau), 3) practice of begging ( Bhiksha yavratatvam), 4) following the teacher in to the teacher's death.
The duties of Grhistha ( married state) are stated as:- 1) earning livelihood by means of prescribed occupations, 2) marrying into family of equal status , but different gotras,
,3) offering food to gods, ancestors, guests & paid servants & appropriation of what remains to himself ( Sesha bhojanam).
The person observing Vanaprastha, has to observe:- 1) Continence ( Brahmacharya), 2) sleeping on bare earth, 3) growing long hair & wearing deer skin,4) offering obligations to fire, 5) eating what is grown in forest.
A sanyasi or Paivrajaka, has to observe, 1) Control of senses, 2) Renouncing all possessions, 3) life of soltitude, 4) Begging in different places ( so as not to get attached to any place) , 5) living in forest, 6) Purity of body & heart.
These duties are compulsory for all: 1) Non violence ( ahinsa), 2) Truthfulness ( Satyam), 3) Purity ( saucham), 4) freedom from jealousy ( Anasuya), 5) freedom from cruelty, 6) Tolerance ( Kshama)
It was the supreme duty of a state or the sovereign to uphold this social order for ensuring stability of society & self-fulfilment of the individual as the supreme objective of the State itself.
The King as 'Danda' or Upholders of Dharma:- The 'Aitareya Brahmana' describes the king as the defender of Dharma ( Dharmasya Gopta). The 'Satapatha Brahmana' (Chpt 14, line 4 and 23), states that the 'Danda' or the king is necessary to maintain,
"the principles of justice by which the strong are prevented from eating up the weak" ( abaliyan baliyamsa ma samaste dharmena yatha.)
The Mahabharat (shanti parva, chpt 67, verse 122), points out that :-
without 'Danda', " society will be in a state of nature described as 'Matasya Nyaya' , in which "people devour each other like fish or dog" ( parasparam bhakshayanto matsasya Iva jale krisani parasparam vilumpanti sarameya yathamisham).
This doctrine has been further stated by Kautilya:-" Where there is no danda-dhara' or the sovereign wielding his sceptre of justice, the strong will eat up the weak. But protected by the king, the weak becomes strong."
Kautilya further states that the king who upholds 'dharma' will attain happiness both here & hereafter" ( pretya cheha cha nandati) , Arthashastra, chpt 1, verse 3.
Kautilya also holds ( chpt 4, verse 13, Arthashastra) , that if the king excersises his power in an unlawful manner, he will himself be punishable ( adandyadandane rajno dandastri- msatgunmbhasi)
Administrative Divisions of Mauryan Empire:- The Mauryan empire was divided into number of viceroyalties & provinces & each of these was the time-honoured & standardized pattern of the Hindu State, comprising of ruler at the top, & followed by
The council of ministers called 'Mantriparishad', heads of departments called 'Adhyakshas', the civil service represented by a hierarchy of officers in different grades of jurisdiction & self-governing village communities, at the foundation of the structure.
Ashoka's inscriptions speak of 4 viceroyalties:- 1) Taxila, 2) Ujjain, 3) Tosali , & 4) Suvarnagiri. Taxila was the capital of north-western frontier, Ujjain was the capital of central India, Tosali was the capital of Kalinga, Suvarnagiri was the capital of Southern provinces.
Accord to Puranas, India has been divided into 5 provinces:- 1) Udichya ( North India), or Uttarpatha, 2) Madhya Desh ( central India), 3) Prachya ( Eastern India), 4) Aparantha (western India), & 5) Dakshinpatha ( Southern India).
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