Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumAncient Indian Civilizations and Early Empires

Match the Mauryan administrative officers listed in List-I with their corresponding administrative portfolios or functions in List-II:

  • SamahartaChief Collector General of revenue and superintendent of expenditure
  • SannidhataChief Treasury Officer and custodian of the state storehouse
  • AkshapataladhyakshaSuperintendent of accounts and keeper of central records
  • VyavaharikaChief Judge presiding over civil courts (Dharmasthiya)

Answer

Samaharta corresponds to the Chief Collector General of revenue; Sannidhata corresponds to the Chief Treasury Officer; Akshapataladhyaksha corresponds to the Superintendent of accounts and records; Vyavaharika corresponds to the Chief Judge of civil courts.
In the Mauryan administrative framework detailed in Kautilya's Arthashastra, the Samaharta acted as the Chief Revenue Collector, the Sannidhata served as the Chief Treasury Officer, the Akshapataladhyaksha was the Accountant General and keeper of records, and the Vyavaharika functioned as the chief civil magistrate.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the primary role of the Samaharta in Mauryan administration.
The Samaharta served as the overall revenue collector and supervisor of imperial finances.
Kautilya's Arthashastra designates the Samaharta as the officer in charge of income generation from land taxes, trade, and mines.
2
Distinguish between Samaharta and Sannidhata.
While Samaharta collected revenue, Sannidhata was the custodian of stored wealth, treasury buildings, and granaries.
Clear administrative division existed between revenue collection (Samaharta) and treasury management (Sannidhata).
3
Match the departmental heads for accounting and judicial functions.
Akshapataladhyaksha oversaw the central audit/records room (Akshapatala), and Vyavaharika presided over civil judicial proceedings (Dharmasthiya).
Adhyakshas supervised specific technical departments, whereas Vyavaharika maintained civil law and order.

Key Concept

Centralized Administrative Structure of the Mauryan Empire
Estimated Time:1m 0s
Rate this question

Topics

Ancient Indian Civilizations and Early Empires

More questions from this topic