Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c14.s3.111

c14.s3.111

As regards the *Pradeśikas* or *Prādeśikas*, Senart, Kern and Bühler understood the term to denote local governors or local chiefs. Smith took it to mean District Officers. Hultzsch compares it with *Prādeśikeśvara* of Kalhaṇa's *Rājataranginī*.¹ The word occurs only in the Third Rock Edict where the functionaries in question are included with the *Rājūkas* and the *Yutas* in the ordinance of the *Anusaṁyāna* or circuit. Thomas derives the word from *pradeśa* which means report² and identifies the *Prādeśikas* or *Pradeśikas* of the Edict with the *Pradeshṭris* of the *Arthaśāstra*.³ The most important functions of the *Pradeshṭris* were *Bali-pragraha* (collection of taxes or suppression of recalcitrant chiefs), *Kaṇṭakaśodhana* (administration of criminal justice), *Choramārgaṇa*, (tracking of thieves) and *Adhyakshāṇām adhyaksha purushāṇām cha niyamanam* (checking superintendents and their men). They acted as intermediaries between the *Samāhartṛi* on the one hand and the *Gopas*, *Sthānikas* and *Adhyakshas* on the other.⁴ It is, however, doubtful if the *Prādeśikas* can really be equated with Reporters. The more probable view is that they correspond to the subordinate governors, the *nomarchs*, *hyparchs* and *meridarchs* of the Hellenistic kingdoms.