Chandragupta Maurya and His TimesThis is a comprehensive work dealing with the life and times of India`s first historical emperor, and a picture of the civilization of India in the early period of the fourth century BC. The author had utilized much material found in Arthasastra. The work also embodies collation and comparison of evidence from different sources, classical works in Sanskrit, Buddhist and jaina texts and the inscriptions of Asoka. The book gives a detailed account of Chandragupta Maurya and the general view of his administration. It has covered almost all aspects of administration including the king, ministers and officers with rules of service and divisions of administrative departments; governance of land system and rural administration along with municipal administration, the source of law and dispensation of justice and the army and its management. Besides social and economic conditions of that times have been elaborately discussed. The detailed contents serves as an index of subjects, the other parts are--Index of technical terms, three appendics which enrich utility of the book and a plate of typical Mauryan Coins. |
Contents
| 1 | |
| 10 | |
Taxila 16 Education at Taxila | 16 |
Arāṭṭas Vāhīkas 22 Kautilya on sources of recruitment | 22 |
Insecurity of Greek Rule 27 Greek Satrapies 28 Murder | 29 |
States conquered by him 35 His lack of popularity 35 Casualties | 35 |
Empire up to Persia 36 Gift of 500 Indian elephants 37 Supposed | 38 |
Eggermont | 45 |
127 Rural Staff 128 Fiscal Classification of Villages 128 Village | 127 |
CHAPTER VIII | 133 |
against Epidemics 138 Killing rats 138 RatCess 138 Control | 139 |
Mining 146 Roads 147 Summary of Agreements | 147 |
Inheritance 154 Sons of different kinds | 154 |
an offence 157 List of Offences 157 Arrest 158 Abetment 158 | 158 |
CHAPTER X | 165 |
Greek Accounts of Equipment 170 Kautilyas Account 170 | 172 |
Varṇāsramadharma 49 Duties of different Castes 49 and | 51 |
Interviews Upasthana Agnyāgāra 51 Maxims for Royalty | 57 |
Processions at Festivals 62 Courtly Pomp 62 Ceremony of washing | 63 |
according to Kautilya 68 Pațaliputra as described in Buddhist texts | 71 |
Maurya trade in images of gods 76 Hierarchy of Officers from | 81 |
Service 85 Pensions 88 Payment of salary in cash and kind | 88 |
Sannidhätä 97 Government Buildings 97 Treasury 97 Granary | 98 |
Rainfall 103 Means of Irrigation 103 Agricultural Seasons 103 | 103 |
Superintendent of SlaughterHouse | 110 |
115 Table of Tolls | 117 |
CHAPTER VII | 124 |
Elephants in military operations 178 ElephantRiders 178 Eastern | 178 |
Caste and Craft 184 Brahmins 184 Śramanas 186 Their | 188 |
194 Slavery 195 Religion | 195 |
Uncultivated Wastes and Forestry 201 Forest Staff | 201 |
Seaborne Trade 207 Panini on Roads 208 Patanjali on Roads | 208 |
210 Corals 210 Fragrant Woods 210 Skins 210 Blankets 211 | 211 |
Fortresses as described by Greek writers 221 Towns mentioned | 224 |
Parallelisms between Aśokas Edicts and Kautilyas | 236 |
INDEX OF SANSKRIT WORDS | 256 |
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Common terms and phrases
according administration agricultural Alexander allowed already animals appointed army ascetics Asoka authority Buddhist called capital carried caste cattle cause centre Chanakya Chandragupta charge chariots chief classes coins conquest cultivation customs death Departments described duties Edict elephants empire employed evidence father foreign forests four further give given gold grades grains Greek Heads History horses husband important India inscriptions interesting Jain Kautilya kinds king king's known labour land live marriage Maurya means measures Megasthenes mentioned military Ministers named Nanda noted officers origin panas Pataliputra Persian persons points princes produce protected province punished received recorded recruited refers regards regulations relations river roads royal rule seen Service shows silver sources Superintendent supply symbol taken term texts town tradition various village women Yajnavalkya
Popular passages
Page 48 - This union of the village communities, each one forming a separate little state in itself, has, I conceive contributed more than any other cause to the preservation of the peoples of India through all the revolutions and changes which they have suffered, and is in a high degree conducive to their happiness, and to the enjoyment of a great portion of freedom and independence.
Page 48 - The village communities are little republics, having nearly everything that they want within themselves, and almost independent of any foreign relations. They seem to last where nothing else lasts. Dynasty after dynasty tumbles down. Revolution succeeds to revolution. Hindoo, Patan, Mogul, Mahratta, Sikh, English, are all masters in turn, but the village communities remain the same.
Page 29 - The East bow'd low before the blast In patient, deep disdain; She let the legions thunder past, And 'plunged in thought again.
Page 19 - Agrammes was a barber scarcely staving off hunger by his daily earnings, but who, from his being not uncomely in person, had gained the affections of the queen, and was by her influence advanced to too near a place in the confidence of the reigning monarch. Afterwards, however, he treacherously murdered his sovereign and then, under the pretence of acting as guardian to the royal children, usurped the supreme authority, and, having put the young princes to death, begot the present king.
Page 91 - Some superintend the rivers, measure the land, as is done in Egypt, and inspect the sluices by which water is let out from the main canals into their branches, so that every one may have an equal supply of it.
Page 75 - And while the soil bears on its surface all kinds of fruits which are known to cultivation, it has also underground numerous veins of all sorts of metals, for it contains much gold and silver, and copper and iron in no small quantity, and even tin and other metals, which are employed in making articles of use and ornament, as well as the implements and accoutrements of war.
Page 58 - The king leaves his palace not only in time of war, but also for the purpose of judging causes. He then remains in court for the whole day, without allowing the business to be interrupted, even though the hour arrives when he must needs attend to his person, — that is, when he is to be rubbed with cylinders of wood.
Page 47 - ... because the machinery of authority was not perfect enough to carry orders into effect at a great distance from the person of the ruler. He depended mainly upon voluntary fidelity for the obedience even of his army, nor did there exist the means of making the people pay an amount of taxes sufficient for keeping up the force necessary to compel obedience throughout a large territory.
Bibliographic information
| Title | Chandragupta Maurya and His Times Madras. University. Sir William Meyer lectures, 1940-41 Sir William Meyer lectures University of Madras. Sir William Meyer lectures |
| Author | Radhakumud Mookerji |
| Edition | illustrated, reprint |
| Publisher | Motilal Banarsidass Publ., 1966 |
| ISBN | 8120804058, 9788120804050 |
| Length | 263 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |