SSC
In the Mauryan administration, the chief of the revenue department, who was responsible for assessing and collecting revenue, was called the:
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Answer: Option D — Samaharta
Detailed Solution
In the Mauryan administration, the "Samaharta" was the chief collector of revenue, in charge of the assessment and collection of taxes from all parts of the kingdom.
About the Samaharta:
- He is described in Kautilya's "Arthashastra" as one of the most important officers of the state.
- He was responsible for collecting revenue from various sources, such as land, mines, forests, trade, customs, irrigation and crafts.
- He also prepared the budget and maintained accounts.
- He supervised the officers at the district and village levels who collected taxes.
Other important officers in the Arthashastra:
- "Sannidhata": the chief treasurer and keeper of stores; he was in charge of the treasury and the storehouses.
- "Senapati": the commander-in-chief of the army.
- "Purohita": the chief priest.
- "Mantri": the minister.
- "Yuvaraja": the crown prince.
- "Dauvarika": the chief of the palace guards.
- "Pradeshta": a provincial or district officer.
- The "Mantriparishad" was the council of ministers.
The "Tirthas":
The Arthashastra lists the highest officers of the state as "tirthas", and describes their duties.
Superintendents:
The Arthashastra also describes many "adhyakshas" (superintendents), who were in charge of different departments, such as trade, agriculture, mines, the mint, ships, forests, weights and measures, and others.
Sources of Mauryan revenue:
- Land revenue (bhaga), usually one-sixth or one-quarter of the produce.
- Taxes on trade and goods.
- Income from state-owned lands, mines and forests.
- Fines.
About the Arthashastra:
It is a treatise on statecraft, economics and administration, attributed to Kautilya (Chanakya), the minister of Chandragupta Maurya.
It was rediscovered in 1905 and published by R. Shamasastry.
Why not the other options?
- ✗The Sannidhata was the treasurer.
- ✗The Senapati was the commander of the army.
- ✗The Mantriparishad was the council of ministers.
Quick tip
Remember: Samaharta = chief revenue collector; Sannidhata = treasurer; Arthashastra (Kautilya) rediscovered by R. Shamasastry (1905).
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Mahajanapadas & Mauryan Empire — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Mahajanapadas & Mauryan Empire, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers the sixteen Mahajanapadas, the rise of Magadha under the Haryanka, Shishunaga and Nanda dynasties, Alexander's invasion, and the Mauryan Empire under Chandragupta Maurya, Bindusara and Ashoka, including Mauryan administration, Ashoka's dhamma and his edicts. Questions often ask about the capital of a Mahajanapada, the founder of a dynasty, or details of Ashoka's rule, such as the Kalinga war and his rock and pillar edicts. Key sources include Kautilya's Arthashastra and Megasthenes' Indica. James Prinsep first deciphered Ashoka's Brahmi inscriptions in 1837. Practise the Mahajanapadas and Mauryan Empire questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.