State and Government in Ancient India c22.s4.3

c22.s4.3

At the time of the invasion of Alexander the Great, there were a large number of republics in the Punjab, eastern U. P. and northern Bihar. We get only occasional references to them in the *Arthaśāstra*. It is not impossible that all these republics were integrated into the Mauryan empire, and that Kauṭilya's references are rather to what was the reality before the establishment of the new empire, of which he was the distinguished Chancellor. It is, however, more likely that several of the republics continued to exist as separate political units, but as feudatories of the new power. The provincial governors may have supervised over them as they did over feudatory kings. An account of their administration has already been given in Chapter VI.