Briefly explain the administrative set-up of the Mauryas.

The administration of the Mauryas can be studied under four main heads — Central, Provincial, District and Village administration.

1. Central Government
   1. The Mauryans administration was highly centralized. The King was the head of administration and the supreme judge. A council of Ministers known as the Mantri Parishad assisted him. Ashoka made small changes to the administrative system by appointing Mahamatras (governors) to look after the welfare of his people.
   2. Military Administration — The Mauryans had a large, well equipped army consisting of infantry, cavalry, elephants and chariots. A commission of 30 members divided into six boards each with five members looked after each wing of the army.
   3. Administration Of The Cities — Important cities, the capitals of provinces, had their own administrative systems. The head of the city was called Nagaradhyasksha.
2. Provincial Government
   1. The empire was divided into provinces for administrative efficiency and convenience.
   2. During the reign of Chandragupta Maurya, the empire was divided into four provinces with their capitals at Taxila, Ujjayini, Suvarnagiri and Patliputra.
   3. Ashoka added the fifth province, i.e, Kalinga with its capitals at Tosali.
   4. Each province was ruled by a prince, called Kumara and assisted by a governor known as Mahamatra.
3. District Government
   1. Each province was divided into a number of districts.
   2. The officer called Rajuka was the head of the district.
   3. The Yuktas were officers who carried on the administrative duties in the district.
4. Village Administration
   1. The village was the smallest unit of administration.
   2. The head of the village was called the Gopa.