The Political Institutions and Theories of the Hindus: A Study in Comparative Politics c11.t28.9

c11.t28.9

The most important monopoly of the Maurya Empire was the mines and minerals. Indeed the manufacture of salt was scheduled in the *Artha-śâstra* under the category of mining. As defined by Kautilya mining was a comprehensive term, including as in mediaeval British law “wreck of the sea and royal fish”.² There were therefore two branches of mining under the Mauryas: (1) ocean mining, i. e. pearl fishery, the fishing of conch shells and corals, and manufacture of salt, and (2) land mining.³ The revenues from land mining were described as those accruing from gold mines, silver mines, mines of rubies, and metals such as iron, copper, etc.⁴