The Cambridge History of India, Vol. I: Ancient India v1.c28.118

v1.c28.118

Under the title ‘clearing of thorns’³ are included criminal law, political offences, in particular misconduct on the part of officials, and the general business of police. Among the cases contemplated we may cite theft, murder, burglary or forcible entry, poisoning, coining, injury to property, criminal negligence, contumelious violation of caste rules⁴, boycott and other acts of employees, combinations to affect prices, fraud in regard to weights and measures. In all these matters the magistrates (*pradeshṭri*, revenue and police officers) were assisted by an army of spies and *agents-provocateurs*, who in times of fiscal difficulty were also empowered to adopt the most reprehensible expedients for squeezing the well-to-do⁵. If the Greek writers are to be trusted when they report a rarity of offences among the Indians⁶, this was plainly not due to a state of innocence even as regards elaborate criminal acts.