Economy
Economy
Section titled “Economy”2020-04-27 11:47:57
Material and Social Basis of Production
Section titled “Material and Social Basis of Production”- agricultural surplus brought changes
Arrian : innumerable cities
Megasthenese : these towns were well organised - had large population, mentioned about wooden palaces, Kumrahar has given evidence of a large multipillared hall
- Excavations do not show city planning
- Large no of ringwells - used to supply water for domestic purposes
- use of burnt bricks was the hallmark structural development
- Iron objects like sickles, iron ploughs. Iron slags found showing that the quality of iron smelting was not high quality. But sophisticated techniques of making iron is described in Arthashastra
- Arthashastra suggests state ownership of mining
- Sudras were to be settled to areas that were to be brought under the plough given fiscal concessions for this. also formed the bulk of agricultural and other forms of labours. This form of settlement was called as Janapadanivesa
- New areas were also settled by deporting captured people from defeated kingdoms
- newly settled areas formed part of the crown lands, known as the sita lands were given to ex village officials. the Arthasastra mentions a sitadhyaksa as the one controlling cultivation in these lands.
- the use and control of raw materials and manpower made it possible for agrarian expansion
Agriculture and Land Revenue
Section titled “Agriculture and Land Revenue”- Land tax was extracted from the settlements made
- RS Sharma : most of the Gangetic basin was brought under plough
- Megasthenes has put the Farmers and the 2nd class in hierarchy just after Philosophersbecause they were more numerous thus gained more attention to his eyes. He also says that they were not armed and were not killed during wars. But in Kalinga war many were deported or killed
- Agriculture in janapada territories was carried on Privately
- gahapatis and grambhojakas were land owners who employed labourers
- There were rules for the regulation of water supply for the benefit of agriculturists irrigation which was done by the state. Megathenese mentions about these. Irrigation cess amounting to 1/5th, 1/4th or even 1/3rd of the produce has been mentioned in the Arthashastra. It was taken only on irrigate soil.
- Pushyagupta made the Sudarshana lake in girnar
- Highest officer in charge of land revenue assessment was the Samharta
- The sannidhata was the chief custodian of the State treasury
- Revenue was collected in cash and in kind.
- Classical writers mention that 1/4th of the produce was paid in tax by the peasants and a tribute was also paid by them called ‘bali’
- Land Tax or Bhaga was main source of revenue it was levied at the rate of 1/6th of the produce could be possible that it was as high as 1/4th.
- Ashoka’s lumbini edict mentions decrease of Bhaga to 1/8th and exemption of bali to the villages of Lumbini.
- Sharecropping was another way by which the State collected agricultural resources. they recieved seeds, oxen, land etc from state revenue demand could have been half in this case.
- peasants paid a tax called Pindakara, village folk had to pay for supply when royal army was passing through their area.
- Hiranya was a tax paid in cash it literally meant gold.
- Pranaya which literally meant a gift of affection was a type of tax written in Arthashastra. was first mentioned by Panini. Amounted to 1/3rd or 1/4th of the produce.
Trade and Town
Section titled “Trade and Town”- security provided by Mauryan rule enabled internal trade to blossom
- Major centres were Rajagriha in Magadha and Kausambi.
- Pataliputra was connected through rivers on all 4 directions.
- Megasthenes refers to Government officers in charge of roads and how signboards
- in north India craft production was organised on guild (sreni) lines, Craft was necessarily hereditary. Megasthenes has mentioned artisans as one the 7 classes
- State administration under the Mauryas also took up the organisation of trade by directly employing artisans like armourers, shipbuilders etc. exempt from paying tax. Goods produced were called as Rajapanya
- Megasthenes mentions a superintendent of commerce in Arthashastra he has been called as panyadhyaksa.
- Samsthadhyaksa looked after the markets was infact to check the wrong practices of the traders. Panyadyaksa was superintendent of weights and measures. State boats were under the navadhyaksa who regulated river transport and ferry charges.
- Taxes and Customs charges for traders varied from 1/5th to 1/25th of the value of goods. It was collected by Sulkadhyaksa.
- durganivesa or durgavidhana was the way state founded walled/fortified towns They were imp source of revenue and facilitated its collection
- 4 of the 6 committees mentioned by Megasthenes worked for economic improvement
- the development of transactions in cash and the circulation of coined money. It was used to pay the salaries of officials
- Arthashastra mentions the range of salaries from 48000 Panas to 60 panas annually
- punch-marked silver coins were mostly assigned to this period
- Arthashastra provides for the superintendent of mines called akaradhyaksa his work was to open new and reopen old mines
- State had monopoly in mining salt and metals
- Lohadhyaksha looked after weapons and equipping soldiers with arms.
- tribes (atavikas, aranyacafas) that inhabited the various parts of the empire mostly in the lesser developed areas Kautilya has mentioned detailed treatise to bring them under the plough
- Ashoka had paternalistic attitude towards them but asked the Mahamatyas to take stern action if they failed to conform
- For the safe passage of traders and for uninterrupted economic development it was required to subdue these tribes
- Write a short essay on: “The Maurya policy of regulating and controlling economic activities.” [1990, 20m]
[[fess108.pdf]] - Vital Villages, Thriving towns [[fess109.pdf]] - Traders, Kings and Pilgrims