Studies in Ancient Hindu Polity (Based on the Arthashastra of Kautilya), Vol. I c6.4

c6.4

We shall now turn to other institutions of public utility maintained by the State. It is a noteworthy fact that the importance of live stock to India, pre-eminently the country of agriculture, was then fully realized, and special care was taken by the Government for their healthy growth and improvement. Even at the present day Indian agriculture has been held to be suffering much from want of proper grazing grounds and commons for cattle and of a proper supply of fodder;¹ but in Chandra Gupta’s time we find a special department to provide for pastures and grazing grounds for a proper supply of fodder and for the welfare of live stock in general. There were no less than six chief officers for running this department: (i) गोऽध्यक्ष, the superintendent of cows; (ii) विवीताध्यक्ष, the superintendent of pastures and grazing grounds; (iii) सुनाध्यक्ष, the gamekeeper; (iv) हस्तिध्यक्ष, the superintendent of elephants; (v) कुप्याध्यक्ष, the superintendent of forests and forest produce; and (vi) अश्वाध्यक्ष, the superintendent of horses.