The Mauryan Polity c7.s5.t3.1

c7.s5.t3.1

Thirdly, promotion of agriculture and commerce was a function that devolved on the king. If the king and his council felt that a certain part of the empire was harassed by the enemy chieftains, and was subject to intermittent epidemics and famines, then the people were asked to emigrate to some other fertile region and there to settle in comfortable lodgings specially built. Much attention was bestowed on the development of agriculture. Arrangements were made to see that the livestock was free from cattle-lifters, wild animals and diseases peculiar to them. The king was to guarantee safety and security of commercial and trade routes, for the latter are liable to disturbance from chief herdsmen, labourers, thieves, and boundary guards. In this way the king was to protect timber-forests, elephant-forests, dams, and embankments.¹