In the Mauryan administration, the officer in charge of customs and tolls was called the:

In the Mauryan administration, the "Shulkadhyaksha" was the superintendent of customs and tolls, in charge of collecting duties on goods.

About the Shulkadhyaksha:

• "Shulka" means customs, tolls or duties on goods.
• He set up customs houses near the main gates of the city, where traders had to declare their goods and pay duties.
• He examined the goods, checked their quantity and quality, and collected duties on both imports and exports.
• Goods were stamped with a seal after payment.
• Traders who tried to avoid paying duties or gave false information were heavily fined.
• Duties varied according to the type of goods; for example, imported goods were often taxed at one-fifth of their value.

Other adhyakshas (superintendents) in the Arthashastra:

• "Panyadhyaksha": superintendent of commerce (trade and prices).
• "Lavanadhyaksha": superintendent of salt.
• "Akaradhyaksha": superintendent of mines.
• "Lohadhyaksha": superintendent of metals.
• "Suvarnadhyaksha": superintendent of gold.
• "Lakshanadhyaksha": superintendent of the mint (coins).
• "Pautavadhyaksha": superintendent of weights and measures.
• "Sutradhyaksha": superintendent of weaving and textiles.
• "Navadhyaksha": superintendent of ships.
• "Mudradhyaksha": superintendent of passports.
• "Kupyadhyaksha": superintendent of forest produce.
• "Ganikadhyaksha": superintendent of courtesans (entertainers).
• "Devatadhyaksha": superintendent of religious institutions.

Importance:

• The Arthashastra lists about 30 superintendents, showing the wide range of activities controlled by the Mauryan state.
• Customs and trade were important sources of revenue.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Panyadhyaksha was in charge of commerce.
• ✗Lavanadhyaksha was in charge of salt.
• ✗Sitadhyaksha was in charge of another department.