QUE : Discuss the city administration of the Mauryan period with special reference to Megasthenes’ ‘Indica’.

 Megasthenes came to the court of the Mauryan ruler Chandragupta Maurya as an ambassador of the Syrian king Seleucus Nicator. Megasthenes’ book ‘Indica’ describes the city administration.

• City Administration
  
•  The city administration was managed by a council of 30 members. It consisted of 6 committees of 5 members each.
  

o First Committee: For the supervision of industry and business,

o Second Committee: Care of foreigners,

o Third Committee: Account of births and deaths,

o Fourth Committee: Control over trade,

o Fifth Committee: Checking adulteration in goods and

o Sixth Committee: It was responsible for collecting tax on sold goods. Which was 10th part of the sold goods.

•  In the Mauryan Empire, an officer named “Nagarika” was the chief officer of the city administration
  
•  Megasthenes’ Indica also provides information about the functions of the mayor.
  
•  His functions were security of the city, distribution of food grains from the government granary, control of epidemics and epidemics, and prohibition of night movement, etc.
•  Based on the articles received by Megasthenes, it can be said that the palace of the king existed in Pataliputra itself, which has been praised by Megasthenes.
  
•  According to Megasthenes’ information, the administration was divided into various regions of the Mauryan Empire. Dr. V. A. Smith, describing the importance of Megasthenes’ accounts, says that information about the administration of the municipality of the Mauryan Empire is available from Megasthenes’ accounts.

                         From the description in Megasthenes’ ‘Indica’, it can be said without a doubt that many features of modern city administration It is found in the city system of the Mauryan Empire.