of gods, heretics, Brahmans learned in the Vedas, cattle, sacred places, minors, the aged, the afflicted, the helpless, and woman:—all this either in the order of enumeration or according to the urgent necessity of each such business[1].’
The emperor, like most Oriental sovereigns, relied much upon espionage and the reports of news-writers and special agents employed by the Crown for the purpose of watching the executive officers, and reporting to head quarters everything that came to their knowledge. Even the courtesans were employed in this secret service, the nature of which is largely explained in Chânakya’s treatise. Kings in those days had reason to be suspicious. It is recorded of Chandragupta that he dared not sleep in the daytime, and was obliged, like a modern king of Burma, to change his bedroom every night[2].
Asoka, in his fourteenth 'regnal year' (b.c. 256), added to the normal establishment a body of officers especially appointed to the duty of teaching and enforcing the Buddhist Law of Piety, or rules of dharma. The superior officials of this kind were termed Dharma-mahâmâtras, which may be rendered
- ↑ Arthaśâstra, Bk. i. ch. 19, 'The Duties of a King.'
- ↑ Strabo, I, 53-56 in McCrindle, Megasthenes, p. 71; Arthaśâstra, Bk. i, ch. 11, &c.; the King’s Agents (pulisâni) in Pillar Edict III, with whom compare the missi dominci of Charlemagne; Mudrâ-râkshasa, Act ii. Charlemagne's missi were 'officials commissioned to traverse each some part of his dominions, reporting on and redressing the evils they found' (Bryce, Holy Roman Empire (1892), p. 68). Their functions must have been similar to those of Asoka's 'men' or Agents.
