Age of the Nandas and Mauryas c11.s33.4

c11.s33.4

Officers of different grades are mentioned, and the highest rank seems to have been held by the Rājūkas and Mahāmātras. The word Rājūka is held by some to be connected with rājā; but the better view seems to be that of Bühler who considers it an abbreviation of Rajjugrāhaka (rope-holder) of the Jātakas. This class of officer "originally 'held the rope' in order to measure the fields of the ryots and to assess the land-tax", and revenue administration must have been among their chief duties. Aśoka says that he appointed the Rājūkas for the welfare and happiness of the country people (janapadasa hitasukhāye PE IV, I). The Arthaśāstra knows, however, rajjū and chora-rajjū as sources of revenue in the rāṣṭra (janapada), and chora-rajjuka as a rural officer; and Megasthenes has described a class of highly-placed rural officers, agronomoi, whose duties are very similar to those of the rājūkas of the inscriptions. We must assume therefore that Aśoka did not create a new office, but reorganised and improved the existing arrangements for rural administration. The Rājūkas each held sway over 'many hundred thousands of men', and 'either rewards or punishments were left to their discretion' in order that they should perform their duties confidently and fearlessly. Aśoka desires that the care of these officers for the people should resemble that of an intelligent nurse for the child in her charge. The Rājūkas had the power of life and death; but to secure that no mistakes should occur and opportunity may be found by Rājūkas either on their own initiative or as a result of persuasion by the relatives of the condemned man to revise the order, and in order to enable the prisoner to prepare adequately by fasts, prayer and gifts, to meet his end, a respite of three days was required to be granted in all cases of capital punishment. And they were particularly enjoined to be impartial in the investigation of disputes and the award of punishments. This was not all. The Rājūkas were kept in constant touch with the king by his agents, purushas.