The Mauryan Polity c10.s2.t5.14

c10.s2.t5.14

(2) They were the final authority in matters relating to the upkeep of internal peace. This was to afford protection by the proper exercise of *daṇḍa* and *daṇḍanīti*. That their decision was binding is evident from the term *ātmapatiye* in the inscription. Local affairs were left to the hands of local men who had first-hand knowledge of the locality. It was felt improper to dictate a policy from the imperial capital by members who had neither the opportunity nor the occasion to get themselves acquainted with the needs and aspirations peculiar to the locality.