Question

In which one of the following do we come across a detailed account of the municipal administration of the Mauryas?
A) The Arthasastra of Kautilya
B) The account of Megasthenese
C) The Mudrarakshasa
D) Mauryan inscriptions

Answer 1

Hint: The Maurya Empire was a South Asian Iron Age historical empire centred in Magadha, created by Chandragupta Maurya in 322 BCE and lasting until 185 BCE in a loose-knit way. The conquest of the Indo-Gangetic Plain centred on the Maurya Empire, and Pataliputra served as its capital city (modern Patna). Outside of this imperial core, the empire's geographical reach was limited by the devotion of military commanders who ruled the armed cities that dot the landscape.

Complete answer:
The account of Megasthenese is one of the following: do we come across a detailed account of the municipal administration of the Mauryas. The Empire was divided into provinces, each of which was governed by a provincial governor. The viceroys, who were chosen from the royal family's ranks, were in charge of the most important provinces. The four significant provincial capitals were Taxila, Ujjain, Tosali, and Subarnagiri. Governors in charge of smaller territories were chosen from the local population.
The sophisticated framework devised by the Maurya government allowed for effective administrative oversight via local divisions. As a result, each province was divided into a few districts, which were then broken into smaller divisions. The village was the smallest administrative entity.

Municipal Administration: The municipal administration was an important part of the Maurya administrative structure. Indeed, even outsiders were impressed with the local administrations of the cities. A board of thirty mergers was in charge of the municipal administration. These individuals were divided into six committees or groups of five, each with its own set of responsibilities.

The account of Megasthenese is one of the following do we come across a detailed account of the municipal administration of the Mauryas.

Therefore the correct answer is option ‘B’.

Note: In c. 322 BCE, Chandragupta Maurya gathered an army with the help of Chanakya, the author of Arthashastra, and toppled the Nanda Empire. By defeating the satraps left by Alexander the Great, Chandragupta quickly expanded his empire westwards across central and western India, and by 317 BCE, the empire had fully dominated northwestern India. During the Seleucid–Mauryan war, the Mauryan Empire defeated Seleucus I, a diadochus and founder of the Seleucid Empire, gaining territory west of the Indus River.