State and Government in Ancient India c23.s2.t5: Provincial and District Administrations
State and Government in Ancient India c23.s2.t5
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Provincial and District Administrations
c23.s2.t5.1
Provinces of the Gupta empire were known as Deśas² or Maṇḍalas. Three of these are referred to in our records, Surāshṭra, Mālwā and Antarvedī (the territory between the Yamunā and the Narmadā). We may well presume that Pañchāla, Kāśi, Kośala, Magadha and Vaṅga may have been among the remaining provinces of the empire. The Junagad inscription of Skandagupta shows that the viceroys of the provinces were appointed by the emperor himself. They had to maintain law and order and protect their territory against outside attacks. They were to develop their provinces by constructing and repairing works of public utility like tanks and roads and strengthen the foundations of the empire by promoting public confidence by their good and efficient administration. They could appoint their subordinate officers. Probably they had branches of almost all the departments working at their centre. Whether they had provincial ministries as under the Mauryas, we do not know.
c23.s2.t5.2
² Cf. सर्वेषु देशेषु विधाय गोप्तॄन् । *C. I. I.*, III. 66
c23.s2.t5.3
Provinces were divided into Bhuktis which appear to have comprised of two or three districts; the latter were called Vishayas. Puṇḍravardhana-bhukti included the districts of Bogra, Dinajpur and Rajashahi in northern Bengal, Magadha-bhukti of the districts of Gaya and Patna ; Tīra-bhukti included most of the Tirhut division of the present day. Bhuktis were in charge of officers known as Uparikas, who were appointed by and responsible to the emperor himself. They often had the title Mahārāja, probably when they were scions of the earlier ruling families. Vishayas were governed by Vishayapatis who were appointed sometimes by the Uparaikas, and sometimes by the emperor. Several sealings of the officers of the Vishayas and Bhuktis have been found, which had once sealed confidential despatches sent from their offices. It is difficult to state whether in the Gupta empire there were any administrative divisions intervening between the Vishaya and towns and villages comprised within it. They are not mentioned in Gupta inscriptions, but figure in later records. We have already seen that they existed in the the Mauryan administration. Their non-occurrence in Gupta records is probably accidental.
c23.s2.t5.4
The subordinate staff of the district administration consisted of officers described as Yuktas, Niyuktaś, Vyāpṛitaś, and Adhikṛitas in our records; they served as links betwen the district and the village. Officers of the police, forest and trade departments probably worked under them.
c23.s2.t5.5
¹ The first two of these designations were in use under the Mauryas also, as shown already.
c23.s2.t5.6
There is ample evidence supplied by the Damodarpur plates to show that the office of the Vishayapati was well organised and used to keep careful records and files. The officer in charge of the records was called Pustapāla; his records could show the precise dimensions of bands, both cultivated and uncultivated, situated within his jurisdiction. Even when waste lands were proposed to be sold by the central government, the district authorities had to be consulted. In some cases copper plates granting such lands bear the seals of the district administration as a proof of its concurrence.