Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c14.s1.t6: Overseers and Spies

Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c14.s1.t6

Language: English

Overseers and Spies

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The classical writers refer to a class of men called Overseers (*Episkopoi*) who "overlook what is done throughout the country and in the cities, and make report to the king where the Indians are ruled by a king, or the magistrates where the people have a democratic Government.”¹ Strabo calls this class of men the Ephori or Inspectors. “They are,” says he, “intrusted with the superintendence of all that is going on, and it is their duty to report privately to the king…The best and the most faithful persons are appointed to the office of Inspectors.”² The Overseer of Arrian and the Inspector of Strabo may correspond to the *Rāshṭrīya* of the Junāgaḍh Inscription or to the *Pradeshṭri* or the *Gūḍha-Purushas* (secret emissaries) of the *Arthaśāstra*. *Pradeshṭri* may be derived from *Pradiś* which means ‘to point,’ ‘to communicate.’³

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¹ Chinnock, *Arrian*, p. 413.

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² H. and F., *Strabo*. III, p. 103.

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³ *Cf.*, Thomas, *JRAS.*, 1915, p. 97.

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Strabo speaks of different classes of Inspectors. He tells us that the City Inspectors employed as their co-adjutors the city courtesans; and the Inspectors of the Camp, the women who followed it. The employment of women of easy virtue as spies is also alluded to by the *Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra*. According to that work there were two groups of spies, viz.:

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1. *Saṁsthāḥ*, or stationary spies, consisting of secret agents styled *Kāpaṭika*, *Udāsthita*, *Gṛihapatika*, *Vaidehaka* and *Tāpasa*, *i.e.*, fraudulent disciples, recluses, householders, merchants and ascetics.

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2. *Sañchārāḥ* or wandering spies,⁴ including emissaries termed *Satri*, *Tīkshṇa* and *Rasada*, *i.e.*, class-mates, firebrands and poisoners and certain women described as *Bhikshukīs* (mendicants), *Parivrājikās* (wandering nuns), *Muṇḍas* (shavelings) and *Vṛishalīs*. It is to the last class, *viz.*, the *Vṛishalīs* that Strabo evidently refers.⁵ We have also explicit references to courtesan (*puṁśchalī*, *veśyā*, *rūpājīvā*) spies in the *Arthaśāstra*.¹

Cites (2)

Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra — Kauṭilya, Sanskrit
Bhagavadajjukīya — Bodhāyana Kavi, Sanskrit