State and Government in Ancient India c19.33

c19.33

When kingdoms began to be fairly extensive ones after c. 600 B. C., subordinate royal courts began to be constituted for important towns and cities. To judge from the evidence of the *Arthaśāstra*, they were often located in the headquarters of territorial divisions, like Sthāna (which included about 800 villages), Droṇamukha (which comprised 400 villages) and Kharvaṭika, (which was exactly half the size of Droṇamukha)¹. These courts functioned under the authority of the royal seal and were therefore called *mudrita* in later times. There used to be also circuit courts, which are referred to by Nārada.²