The World of Courtesans c7.2

c7.2

THE MAURYAN PERIOD of Indian history is noted for the amalgamation of smaller states in a well-knit empire which was governed and controlled from the centre with a strictness and sagacity that required both administrative experience and organizing capacity. The sources for the religious, political, social and economic history of the Mauryan period are twofold: the inscriptions of Asoka lay stress on nobility of character and piety and condemn gross and superstitious practices. These are supplemented by meagre Greek accounts and Kautilya's *Arthashastra* which describes in detail various facets of the Mauryan administration. The primary aim of the *Arthashastra* is naturally to describe the manifold activities of the state and the checks and counter-checks needed to ensure the smooth working of the administrative machinery. The *Arthashastra*, while it deals in the main with dry rules and regulations, also provides us with interesting details about the social life of the people. The material, however, has to be properly sifted and interpreted before the entire picture can become clear.