State and Government in Ancient India c17.s3.4

c17.s3.4

The district officers like the modern collectors were responsible for maintaining law and order in their districts; they had also to supervise the collection of government taxes and revenues. They were naturally assisted by a large subordinate staff; the *yuktas*, *āyuktas*, *niyutas* and *vyāpṛitas* who are exhorted in numerous records³ not to disturb the peaceful enjoyment of alienated villages, were most probably the members of the subordinate revenue staff. Some of them were known as *gopas* in the Mauryan age⁴ and as *dhruvas* in Gujarat in the post-Gupta period.⁵