The Mauryan Polity c13.s12.33

c13.s12.33

(e) The Indika reports that whenever the king set out for hunting, the roads were always blocked by ropes and when the king was leaving the city, portions of streets reserved for the king were cleared of dangers and dangerous persons. He was also accompanied by women.¹ The phrase of Megasthenes “portions of streets reserved for the king” evidently means rāja-mārga or the royal road of Kauṭalya, the main street or streets of the capital city. Kauṭalya says that whenever the king went out of the city or came into it, the royal road was to be guarded on both sides by staff-bearers and was to be clear from armed persons, ascetics and the crippled. It is said that he was further policed by the representatives of the ten tribes.² The hunting forests were free from highway robbers, snakes, and enemies. In the chapter entitled ātmarakṣitakam, mention is made of the armed women appointed for the personal safety of the king.³