Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c14.s1.t4: Administration of Justice
Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c14.s1.t4
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Administration of Justice
c14.s1.t4.1
At the head of the judiciary stood the king himself. Besides the royal court there were special tribunals of justice both in cities(*nagara*) and country parts (*janapada*) presided over by *Vyāvahārika Mahāmātras* and *Rājūkas* respectively. Greek writers refer to judges who listened to cases of foreigners. Petty cases in villages were doubtless decided by the headmen and the village elders. All our authorities testify to the severity of the penal code. But the rigours of judicial administration were sought to be mitigated by Aśoka, grandson of Chandragupta, who meted out equal justice to all and instituted the system of itinerant *Mahāmātras* to check maladministration in the outlying provinces. Considerable discretion was, however, allowed to the *Rājūkas*. We are informed by Greek writers that "theft was a thing of very rare occurrence" among Indians. They express their surprise at this for they go on to observe that the people "have no written laws but are ignorant of writing, and conduct all matters by memory." The assertion about the Indians' ignorance of writing is hardly correct. Nearchus and Curtius record that Indians use pieces of closely woven linen and the tender bark of trees for writing on. Strabo tells us that a philosopher who has any useful suggestion to offer, commits it to writing. Attention may also be invited to the marks on Mauryan pillars intended to show the by-roads and distances.¹
c14.s1.t4.2
¹ Monahan, *Early History of Bengal*, pp. 143, 157, 167 f.