rise of magadha
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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