Ashokan inscriptions suggest that the ‘Pradeshika’, ‘Rajuka’ and ‘Yukta’ were important officers at

Question

Ashokan inscriptions suggest that the ‘Pradeshika’, ‘Rajuka’ and ‘Yukta’ were important officers at the:

Accepted Answer

According to the Arthashastra, the smallest unit of administration was the village. A few villages were grouped as one district, and a collection of districts formed a province. At the village level, the most important functionary was the village headman, who was accountable to the district accountant and tax collector. At the district level, the officials listed were Pradeshika, Rajuka and Yukta. - Pradeshika was the overall in-charge of the district. - The Yukta was a junior officer giving secretarial kind of assistance to the other two. The officials fulfilled the following duties: survey and assessment of land; tours and inspections; revenue collection; and maintaining law and order. At times the king was in direct touch with these officers. Each district was to have an accountant to maintain records of boundaries, registered land and deeds as well as kept a census of population and a record of the livestock. There was also a tax collector for every district, responsible for various types of revenue.