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ADMINISTRATION OF KALINGA
171
and other officers directly and not through the KumāraMahāmātras. It is, thus, evident that while the Provinces of Ujjayini and Takshasilā were under the charge of Kumāra viceroys who wielded practically independent authority, the Province of Tosali was placed under the joint rule-of the Kumāra Mahāmātras, which was, again, not left unfettered but made subject to the control of the Emperor himself." Hence, we see that the Province of Kalinga was placed by Asoka under å Kumāra--a Prince of the Royal-blood. Just because it was a newly conquered province, it stood the necessity of being entrusted to a faithful and vigilent ruler, and was, therefore, converted into a Kumāra.Viceroyalty but under the direct control of the Emperor.
Dr. Barua, however, opines that previous to the appointment of Viceroy for Kalinga, the Province was under the direct rule of Asoka himself. He states that the assumption, that SKE I was directly addressed to the city-judiciaries (Mahāmātras) of Tosali and Samāpā, when the Viceroy-in-Council (i. e. the Kumāra subject to the control of the Emperor) remaincd in-charge of the Province of Kalinga, is questionable. The Edict, he continues, states the circumstances under which Asoka thought it expedient to depute a. Rājavachanika-Mahāmātra to the Province for inspection and prevention of the rule of tyranny and miscarriage of justice. It must have been in the next stage that the Province was placed under the charge of a Viceroy.in. Council, while the administration of the Southern Divisioa (Samāpā) remained entrusted to the Rājavachanika-Mahāmātra (SKE II Jaugada version).* Disagreeing with Dr. Mookerji and others,
1. Asoka, p. 54. 2. AHI, I, p. 190. 3. Ibid,
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