Ancient India Administration

In this book the author had confined to the administration of these smaller divisions of the state. There is no dearth of source material. The author has also examined the working of these divisions under different dynasties. The subject has been divided in to the following headings: Introduction, Provincial Administration, Divisional Administration, Sub-Divisional Administration, Town Administration, Village Administration and Conclusion.

Administration means an authority to enforce a code of conduct ide the behavior of the members of the society. No state can exist Sout authority for the purpose, whether it be a king or a group of ople (in the case of republic). The Mahabharata and the Dighanikaya ads us to believe that in the beginning there was golden age but later a chaotic condition prevailed. Hence an authority came in to existence for the restoration of law and order. As a matter of fact state an indispensable institution for orderly existence and progress of society. In India what was the nature of state in the Pre-Aryan times we do not know but we get evidence of an orderly society. The ruins of Harappa, Mohanjodaro, Kalibangan etc. are its example. However we get a glimpse of the social set of the early Aryan society (Rigvedic Period) and it appears that the nature of state in early Vedic period was more tribal than territorial. But by the end of the Vedic period the territorial state as established and gradually by the Manıyan Period almost whole of Northern India became a part of Mauryan emperor. Hence the bigger the territory it became more difficult to control from Center. Hence smaller administrative divisions were created under the central government headed by the king.