Rise of magadha

2. Rise of Magadha
Limits of Aryans area extended to up to Vindhyas
There were 16 Mahajapadas with in the Aryans area.
Kamboja, Assaka, Vasta, Surasena, Chedi, Malla, Kuru,
Panchala, Matsya, Anga, Kosala, Magadha, Kashi, Anga,
Avanti, Gandhara,
Rise of Magadha:
Ambitious attacks of Magadha rulers
Richest iron deposits were enable them to make weapons

The two capitals of Magadha i.e Rajagriha and Pataliputra
located very strategic points.

3. •Rajagriha was surrounded by a group of five hills and so it
was rendered impregnable (vaihara, varaha, vrishabha and
chaityaka)
•Pataliputra (Kusumapura) were situated at the confluence
of the Ganga, the Gandak and the son and Ghagra
•Pataliputra was a true water fort ( jaladurga) as it was
surrounded by rivers on almost all sides.

4. Magadha 5 B.C

5. Nandan Dynasty

6. Chandra Gupta Maurya

9. Asoka

10. Mauryan Empire 321BC-185BC
Kautilya’s Arthasastra
Visakhadatta’s Mudrarakshasa
Religious sources
Brahimanical texts, Buddhist literature
Sri Lankan Chronicles: Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa
Tibitan and Chainese Buddhist sources
Megasthenes: Indica
Archaeological sources: inscriptions of Asoka

11. Chandra Gupta Maurya 321-295 B.C
Bindusara: 297-272 B.C
Asoka: 268-232 B.C
Last ruler :Brihadradha

12. •Central administration
•Provincial administration
•Local administration

13. Empire
(King)
Provinces
Kumaras/ nobles
District (Pradesika)
Village (Gramika)

14. Empire level Administration
•King was the supreme regarding general administration,
military and Justice
•A council of ministers or advisory body to advise the king
in the administration.
•Purohita, Senapati, Mahamantri and Yuvaraja acted as
ministers
•Amatyas: administrative personnel or civil servants. All
type of appointments
•Superintendent or Adhyakshas ( heads of various
departments)
•27 adhyakshas in central administration

15. •Akshapataladhyaksha was the Accountant-
General
•Sitadhyaksha : Agriculture
•Navadhyaksha: Superintendent of Ports
•Punyadhyaksha: commerce
•Sulkadhyaksha: Collection of customs and tolls

16. Military Department
It was under the control of senapati
There were six wings of adhayakshas under
senapati i.e.
infantry (Padadhyaksha )
Cavalry ( asvadhayaksha)
War elephants( hastyadhyaksha)
Navy ( Navadhyaksha)
Chariots ( rathadhyaksha)
Armory ( ayudhagaradhyaksha)

17. Revenue Department: It was under control of an account
general called Akshapataldhyaksa
Sannidata: storage of royal treasure and of the state
income both cash and kind
Samaharta: collection of revenue from various parts of
kingdom
The chief source of revenue was the land tax which was 1/6
to ¼ of the produce
Sources of revenue: through mines, forests, tolls, fines,
licenses, manufactured products and merchandise of
various types of stones

18. Judicial Administration:
King was the fountain head of law and justice
Source of law:
Dharma ( Sacred Law)
vyavahara ( usage)
Charitam ( customs and precedents)
Dharmasteya
Kantaksodhanas
There were special courts in the cities and villages
presided over by the pradesika, Mahamatras and
rajuks

19. •Pradeshika were the principal police officers, whose duty
was to investigate the crimes committed in the region
within their jurisdiction.
•A separate police station established in every 800, 400,
200 and 10 villages.

20. Provincial administration
The empire was divided into four provinces
Uttarapatha Taxila
Dakshinapura Suvarnagiri
Avantipura Ujjain
Prachyapatha Tosali

21. •Viceroy was the head of the provincial administration
•Viceroy had the powers to appoint some of his official
such as the Mahamattas, who went on tour very five
years.
•Provinces were subdivided into district for purposes of
administration
District
•Pradesika: General administration
•Rajuka: Surveying and assessing land
•Yukta : secretarial work and accounting

22. Tahsil administration
A group of five or ten villages formed as tahsil
Gopa: setting of village boundaries, census of population
Stanika: tax collector (under pradesika)
Village administration
Smallest unit of administration and it enjoyed autonomy
to a great extent
Gramika was the head of village and he was assisted by
Gram-vrudhas

23. Municipal administration
Nagara: head of town
The city was administered by a council of 30 members
divided into 6 boards
Board of industries
Board for Foreigners
Board of Census
Board for Trade and Commerce
Board for manufactured goods
Board for taxes