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CHAPTER VI
· ADMINISTRATION OF KALINGA UNDER
THE MAURYAS Administration is the functional or working feature of the constitution of a State. It implies both the act of management and the agent. Vanagement means the systematic performance of various activities of the State, channelled into different departaments and under different authorities. The agent comprises of the administrative and departmental heads and the oficers under them, besides some semi-official personages. The quality and success of an administration depends not only upon the efficiency of the ruling authority, but also upon the loyalty and co-operation of the ruled. In the light of these observations, we may proceed to adjudicate on the administration of Kalinga under Aśoka Maurya. Sources of Information
The source of our information as regards the method and also the policy of Asoka's adininistration in the country of Kalinga is the set of his well-known Rock Edicts engraved in that country itself. These are found at two places—the northern set on the Dhauli hill, near Bhuvanesvara” in the Puri district, while the southern set is
1. Favourable corroboration, in respect of administration under Asoka, is obtained from the Kautilya Arthaśāstra, Accounts of the Greek writers and at times the Buddhist and thu Brahmanio Works.
2. The rock has been named Asvastamā by kittce in 1837. It is situated close to the village of Dhauli. It has been variously described in Sanskrit works-Svarņņādri, Hem id i, Svarnakūta, Hemaküța-all meaning 'the golden bill or mount'. Baru eays-Though it is very much easier to derive the name of Dhauli from Dhavali, viz. a cow of the Vaishnava fame, the phonetic change of Touali into Dhauli through the intermediate Tohali-Dohali is not an impossibility." (AHI., Vol. II, p. 3).
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