6.nature of The Mauryan State

NATURE OF THE MAURYAN
STATE
THE ARTHASHASTRA
• THE MAIN SOURCE FOR THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE MAURYAN
EMPIRE IS THE ‘ARTHASHASTRA’ OF KAUTILYA
• IT IS THE EARLIEST KNOWN TREATISE ON STATECRAFT
• THE TEXT WAS LOST FOR CENTURIES AFTER THE DECLINE OF THE
MAURYAN EMPIRE
• IT WAS REDISCOVERED BY R. SHAMASASTRY AT THE ORIENTAL
RESEARCH INSTITUTE, MYSORE IN 1905
• IT WAS TRANSLATED TO ENGLISH UNDER THE TITLE ‘SCIENCE OF
MATERIAL GAIN’
• IT IS DIVIDED INTO 15 BOOKS OR ‘ADHIKARANAS’
• EACH BOOK DEALS WITH A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF STATECRAFT
THE ARTHASHASTRA (CONTD.)
• THE MAIN FOCUS OF THE ARTHASHASTRA IS ON THE
`SAPTANGARAJYA’ OR THE SEVEN PARTS OF THE STATE
• THESE ARE: 1.) SWAMI – KING
• 2.) AMATYA – MINISTER OR OFFICIAL
• 3.) JANAPADA – TERRITORY AND ITS POPULATION
• 4.) DURGA – FORT
• 5.) KOSHA – TREASURY
• 6.) BALA – ARMY
• 7.) MITRA - ALLY
THE ARTHASHASTRA (CONTD.)
• KAUTILYA’S DISCUSSIONS ARE ENTIRELY PRACTICAL IN NATURE
• HIS ANALYSES CONCENTRATE MAINLY ON TWO ASPECTS – 1.) THE
INTERNAL ADMINISTRATION OF A STATE IN TERMS OF THE SEVEN
PARTS
• HERE, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE RULER AND HIS PEOPLE ARE
DISCUSSED ALONG WITH THE ROLE OF THE STATE IN MAINTAINING
THE WEALTH OF THE EMPIRE AS WELL AS THE WELFARE OF THE
PEOPLE
• 2.) RELATIONS BETWEEN STATES IN TERMS OF ALLIANCES AND
HOSTILITIES
• HERE, FOREIGN POLICY IS DISCUSSED WITH ALLIANCES BEING BASED
ON THE RELATIVE STRENGTHS OF THE PARTICIPANTS
ASHOKA’S DHAMMA - INTRODUCTION
• ASHOKA’S DHAMMA WAS NOT A NEW RELIGION OR A NEW PHILOSOPHY
• IT WAS A WAY OF LIFE, A CODE OF CONDUCT AND A SET OF PRINCIPLES TO BE
FOLLOWED AND PRACTISED BY THE COMMON PEOPLE
• IT SEEMS TO BE MAINLY SECULAR IN CHARACTER
• IT SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN INFLUENCED BOTH BY BUDDHISM AND HINDUISM
• ITS MAIN AIM SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN TO FOUND A UNIFYING PHILOSOPHY FOR
THE DIVERSE EMPIRE RULED BY ASHOKA
• ALSO, ASHOKA SEEMS TO HAVE TAKEN SUBSTANTIAL EFFORTS TO SPREAD
DHAMMA
• THE MAIN PRINCIPLES WERE INSCRIBED IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE COMMON
PEOPLE AND SHOWN THROUGHOUT THE EMPIRE
MAIN FEATURES OF ASHOKA’S DHAMMA
• KINDNESS TOWARDS ANIMALS- PROHIBITION OF HUNTING AND ANIMAL
SACRIFICES ON CERTAIN DAYS; AND SETTING UP OF HOSPITALS FOR THEM
• HUMANE TREATMENT OF SERVANTS BY MASTERS AND THE ELDERLY BY THE
YOUNG
• IMPLEMENTING SEVERAL SOCIAL WELFARE MEASURES SUCH AS HOSPITALS AND
GUEST HOUSES
• CHECKING THE EFFICIENCY OF THE ADMINISTRATION THROUGH THE
APPOINTMENT OF OFFICIALS AND HOLDING PERIODIC TOURS
• TOLERANCE TOWARDS ALL SECTS
• NO PLACE FOR ELABORATE CEREMONIES OR COMPLICATED RITUALS
• AVOIDING FUTURE WARS
NATURE OF THE MAURYAN STATE
• ACCORDING TO EARLY SCHOLARS WHO BASED THEIR VIEWS ON THE
ARTHASHASTRA, THE MAURYAN EMPIRE WAS A HIGHLY CENTRALIZED
STATE
• ACCORDING TO THEM, THE KING DIRECTLY CONTROLLED THE
ADMINISTRATION
• THE MINISTERS AND THE SUBORDINATE OFFICERS HAD LITTLE SAY IN
THE RUNNING OF ADMINISTRATION
• THEIR ONLY DUTY WAS TO CARRY OUT THE ORDERS OF THE KING
NATURE OF THE MAURYAN STATE(CONTD.)
• LATER RESEARCHERS SAID THAT FROM THE TIME OF ASHOKA
ONWARDS, THERE WAS CONSIDERABLE DECENTRALIZATION OF THE
ADMINISTRATION
• THE KING GAVE CONSIDERABLE POWERS TO THE GOVERNORS OF THE
PROVINCES TO RUN THE ADMINISTRATION IN THEIR RESPECTIVE
TERRITORIES
• THE KING WOULD BE SATISFIED WITH THE ANNUAL PAYMENT OF
TAXES AND SMOOTH RUNNING OF THE ADMINISTRATION
• ASHOKA EVEN ABOLISHED SEVERAL OF THE HARSHER PUNISHMENTS
THAT HAD BEEN AROUND IN CHANDRAGUPTA’S TIME
• ACCORDING TO HISTORIANS, THE EMPIRE NOW CONSISTED OF THREE
MAIN REGIONS – THE METROPOLITAN AREA AROUND MAGADHA,
THE AREAS OF THE MAHAJANAPADAS, AND THE AREAS OUTSIDE THE
MAHAJANAPADAS
THE DECLINE OF THE MAURYAS
• THE MAURYAN EMPIRE BROKE UP AROUND 50 YEARS AFTER THE
DEATH OF ASHOKA
• THE LAST RULER OF THE DYNASTY, BRIHADRATHA, WAS KILLED BY HIS
BRAHMANA GENERAL PUSHYAMITRA SHUNGA WHO STARTED THE
SHUNGA DYNASTY
• SCHOLARS HAVE PUT FORWARD VARIOUS THEORIES FOR THE
DECLINE OF THE MAURYAN EMPIRE
• SOME SCHOLARS BELIEVE THAT ASHOKA’S PATRONAGE OF
BUDDHISM LED TO A REVOLT BY THE BRAHMANAS
• BUT THIS THEORY IS REJECTED BECAUSE ASHOKA CONTINUED TO
PATRONISE PEOPLE OF ALL FAITHS AND RELIGIONS
THE DECLINE OF THE MAURYAS(CONTD.)
• OTHER SCHOLARS SAY THAT ASHOKA’S POLICY OF PACIFISM AND
NON-VIOLENCE LED TO THE WEAKENING OF THE ARMY AND LED TO
THE DECLINE OF THE EMPIRE
• BUT THIS THEORY IS ALSO REJECTED BECAUSE ASHOKA DID NOT
DISBAND HIS ARMY NOR DID HE ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY
• OTHER CAUSES INCLUDE FINANCIAL CRISIS CAUSED BY THE
EXPENDITURE OF THE STATE ON A LARGE ARMY AND BUREAUCRACY
AS WELL AS EXTENSIVE PUBLIC WORKS
• THIS IS KNOWN BY THE INCREASED TAXATION AND THE DECREASING
AMOUNT OF SILVER IN COINS DURING THE LATER MAURYAN
EMPERORS
THE DECLINE OF THE MAURYAS(CONTD.)
• ANOTHER MAJOR CAUSE WAS THE WEAK SUCCESSORS WHO
FOLLOWED ASHOKA
• THE EMPIRE WAS PARTITIONED BETWEEN THE SON AND THE
GRANDSON OF ASHOKA WHICH LED TO DISUNITY
• THE LATER RULERS ALSO COULD NOT CHECK THE REVOLTS BY THE
FEUDATORIES OF THE EMPIRE NOR COULD THEY STOP FOREIGN
INVASIONS
• EXTERNAL INVASIONS GAVE THE FINAL BLOW TO THE TOTTERING
EMPIRE
• THE INDO-GREEK KINGS CONQUERED THE WESTERN PART OF THE
EMPIRE AND SERIOUSLY THREATENED THE EASTERN PART
• IT WAS DURING THIS PERIOD OF CRISIS THAT PUSHYAMITRA SHUNGA
OVERTHREW THE MAURYAS AND STARTED THE SHUNGA DYNASTY

6.nature of The Mauryan State

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

6.nature of The Mauryan State

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

6.nature of The Mauryan State

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

NATURE OF THE MAURYAN

You might also like