Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c41.s3: The Director of Mines — His Duties
Minerals and Metals in Ancient India v2.c41.s3
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The Director of Mines — His Duties
v2.c41.s3.1
The Director of Mines or Ākarādhyakṣa was supposed to be an expert in śulvaśāstra or the mineralogical (and water) veins in the rock (2.12.1; 2.24.1). He could open a new mine or tap, the residual ore from an old mine, detected by the marks of dross, crucibles, coal and ashes’ (2.12.1). In case of some useful information about mines, gems and buried treasures, the informant was supposed to receive one-sixth part, and in case he happened to be a state employee, only one-twelfth part (4.1.51) of the treasure.
v2.c41.s3.2
The Arthaśāstra advised the Director of Mines to concentrate on the more accessible mines needing less capital investment and yielding large quantities of commodities and large profit over a number of years. The temptation for mining highly valuable gems should be controlled since such materials were rarely obtained in large quantities in one place, and the buyers were few and rarely available (7.12.13-16, 25 & 31). We may recall Pliny’s comment (31.39) in this context that the Salt Range supplied more revenue to the king than gold and pearls.
v2.c41.s3.3
Burdensome mines may be leased to individuals, but otherwise all large-profit mines and metal works should be operated by the state itself. All transactions — buying and selling — of minerals and metals — had to be executed with the state only (2.12.19; 2.22.10). The defaulters and other criminals were forced to labour in the mines. Salt works based on sea water could be lease-rented, but the state had to collect its share of crystal outcrops and fix the price (1.13.21; 2.12.18-22, 27-28 & 32).
Linked texts (1)
- Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra — Kauṭilya, Sanskrit