The Age of the Imperial Guptas c6.22

c6.22

sya. “(The seal) of the office of the Controller of morals in Tirabhukti.” Bloch suggested rightly that this Controller of Morals was an official corresponding to the Censor of Public Morals (*Dharma-Mahāmātras*) of Aśoka. The existence of such an official in the fourth and fifth centuries A.D. is extremely interesting, but the construction of the legend is rather difficult. It cannot be understood for what reasons two almost similar terms, *sthiti* and *sthāpaka*, were used in the case of the designation of one and the same officer. It may only mean that the Controller of Morals was “the founder of the permanence of Morals in Tirabhukti.”¹ Among minor offices may be mentioned that of the officer-in-charge of Military Stores, corresponding to the modern Master-General of Stores; *Śrī-raṇa-bhāṇḍāgār-ādhikaraṇasya*.² The office of the Chief of Police had also a separate seal; *Daṇḍa-pāś-ādhikaraṇasya*.³ It appears that the name Tira-bhukti was originally used separated. *Bhukti* denotes a Division and the original name of Northern Bihar was Tira and not the compound Tira-bhukti, as in modern times, from which Tirhut has been derived. On the seal of the *Kumārāmātya* in charge of the *viṣaya* of Tira the original name is used; *Tira-Kumārāmāty-ādhi-karaṇasya*.⁴ Seals appear to have been used in documents in the place of signatures. This can be proved by the large number of inscriptions on the same lump of clay in the case of agreements. In one or two cases names of officials occur along with their designations on seals. Vinayaśūra was the Chief Prefect of Police and held the rank of a *Taravara* in addition; *Mahāpartīhāra-Taravara-Vinayaśūrasya*.¹ Agnigupta was the principal judge; (*Mahādaṇḍanāyaka*).² Yakṣavatsa was the Commandant of the irregular cavalry; *Bhaṭ=āśvapati Yakṣavatsasya*.³