State and Government in Ancient India c23.s2.t5.3

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.