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State and Government in Ancient India c22.s4.t4: Divisions, Districts, Cities and Villages

State and Government in Ancient India c22.s4.t4

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Divisions, Districts, Cities and Villages

c22.s4.t4.1

Provinces were subdivided into Divisions and the latter into Districts. The officers over the former were probably known as Prādeśikas and those over the latter as Rajjukas¹. Both were assisted by a large number of subordinate officers known as Yutas or Yuktas. The Prādeśikas of the Aśokan inscriptions appear to be the same as the Pradeshtāraḥ of the *Arthaśāstra*, who were directly responsible to the Samahartā and were to supervise the work of the superintendents of the various departments, probably within their own territorial spheres.²

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¹ Rock edict III mentions Yuktas, Rajjukas and Prādeśikas in the ascending order; so Prādeśikas seem to be superior to Rajjukas.

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² *A. S.* IV. 9

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The Pradeshtṛi was charged with the executive, revenue and judicial functions. Whether he was assisted by any advisory council, official or popular, we do not know.

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Pillar edict IV gives us a vivid idea of the duties and responsibilities of the Rajjukas. They were appointed over many hundred thousands of people; obviously their charge must have been at least as large as that of a district. Originally they were revenue officers, but they exercised judicial functions also. Aśoka had granted them greater freedom both in investigation of crimes and their punishment. They could also grant remission in punishment in deserving cases. They were to devote themselves to the welfare and happiness of the people in their charge and to confer favours upon them. The position of the Rajjukas was to a great extent similar to that of the collector in the modern administration. They had to collect the land-revenue, maintain proper roads, promote trade and industry and carry out public works like roads and irrigation. It would appear from the Sarnath, the Rupanath and the Brahmagiri records that Āhāra was the name of the territorial division corresponding to the modern district in charge of the Rajjuka.

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The district was subdivided into a Sthānīya usually compressing of about 800 villages. Each of the latter consisted of two Droṇamukhas having 400 villages each. The next territorial division was Khārvaṭika consisting of 200 villages. The latter consisted of 20 Saṅgrahaṇas each having 10 villages.¹ The head of these divisions exercised the revenue, the judicial and executive functions. The officers of the subordinate grades working under them were known as Yuktas. The officer over Saṅgrahaṇa, who supervised ten villages, was called Gopa (*A S.*, II. 35).

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¹ *A. S.*, II. 1

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Greek historians refer to a number of cities in the Punjab which were governed by their own magistrates. They are called Nāgarakas in the *Arthaśāstra* and *Nagalaviyohālakas* in Aśoka’s inscriptions. They were exercising executive, revenue and judicial functions. They had to keep a watch over inns, *serais* and places of entertainments, especially to find out the arrival of foreigners and persons of bad character. Superintendents of trade and commerce, weights and measures worked under them. Stringent action was taken against persons committing nuisance, throwing rubbish on roads, or helping the outbreak of fire by their negligent action.² For administrative purposes, cities were divided into a number of wards. The city had its own court of justice, where the judge was assisted by a number of non-official jurors. In some big cities like Pāṭaliputra, the City Superintendent was, according to Megasthenes, assisted by a board of thirty members divided into five sub-committees, whose functions have been already described earlier p. 223. Some cities like Taxila, Tripuri and Ujjayini enjoyed the privilege of issuing their own coins, a number of which have been discovered.

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² *A. S.*, II. 36

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Cities were well protected by moats and fortifications. The moat round Pāṭaliputra, the capital, was 600 feet wide and 30 feet deep; the water of the Śoṇa was made to flow through it. There was a palisade surrounding the city with 64 gates and 570 towers. Towers were 75 yards apart and the archers posted in them could effectively prevent a hostile force from attacking the city at any intervening point.

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The village administration was under a Grāmaṇī or headman assisted by an informal council of village elders (*gramavṛiddhas*). The office work was done by the Gopa, who used to keep careful records about the numbers of the houses and their inmates, the extent, boundary and ownership of fields and gardens, crops grown upon them, the taxes due from them and the condition of roads, water courses, inns, temples, etc. Village elders used to settle petty civil disputes; others were decided by a court consisting of three officials and three jurors.¹

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¹ *A. S.* II. 35

Cites (1)