Town Planning in Ancient India c12.8

c12.8

I have already remarked that a village is a natural unit and had a natural growth. Nevertheless, Kauṭilya advises the establishment of villages throughout the kingdom for the sake of administrative efficiency. "Either by inducing foreigners to immigrate (paradeśāpavāhanena) or by causing the thickly populated centres of his own kingdom to send forth the excessive population (svadeśābhishyanda-vamanena vā), the kingdom may construct villages either on new sites or on old ruins (bhūtapūrvam abhūtapūrvam vā).