Chandragupta Maurya and His Times c19.14

c19.14

| *Aśoka's Edicts.* | *Kauṭilya's Arthaśāstra.* |
| | *paśuvraja* and *vaṇikpatha*, an officer in charge of cattle and communications including trade-routes by both land and sea (*sthala-patha vāripathaścha*) [Kauṭilya, II. 37]. The *Vivītādhyaksha* of Kauṭilya [II. 34] corresponds to such an officer. His duty was to establish wells and tanks, groves of flower-and fruit-trees in arid (*anudake*) tracts, to keep the roads in order, arrest thieves, see to the safety of caravans of merchants and to protect cattle. |
| 25. The officers called *Strī-adhyaksha--mahāmātras* in RE. XII. | 25. Kauṭilya [I. 10] also refers to *Mahāmātras* who were attached to the royal harem. As they had to deal with women, the special qualification emphasised for them is sexual purity (*kamopadhāśuddhān*) and they are to be placed in charge of the places of pleasure both in the capital and outside [*bāhyābhyantara-vihāra-rakshāsu*]. In passing, it may be noted that the word *bāhya* of Kauṭilya occurs also in RE. V. in the expression "*Hida cha* (or *Paṭalipute cha*)" |