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MAHÁMĀTRAS
317
There was a body of Mahāmātras in each great city and district of the empire. The inscriptions mention the Mahāmātras of Pataliputra, Kaušāmbi, Tosali, Samāpā, Suvarnagiri and Isila. In the Kalinga Edicts we have certain Mahāmātras distinguished by the terms Nagalaka and Nagala-Viyohālaka. The Nagalaka and NagalaViyohālaka of the Edicts correspond to the Nāgaraka and Paura-vyāvahārika of the Arthaśāstral and no doubt administered justice in cities. 4 In Pillar Edict I mention is made of the Amta Mahāmātras or the Wardens of the Marches, who correspond to the Antapālas of the Arthaśāstra 5 and the Goptsis of the age of Skanda Gupta. The Kauțilīya tells us that the salary of an Antapāla was equal to that of a Kumāra, a Paura-vyāvahārika, a member of the Mantriparishad or a Rashtrapāla. In Edict XII mention is made of the Ithījhaka Mahāmātrąs who, doubtless, correspond to the Stry-adhyakshas (the Guards of the Ladies) of the epics.?
1 The Empire, as already stated, was divided into a number of provinces (diśā, deśa etc). Each province seems to have been further subdivided into akalas or districts under regular civil administration, and kotta-vishayas or territories surrounding forts (Hultzsch. p. xl). Each civil administrative division had a pura or nagara (city) and a rural part called janapada which consisted of grāmas or villages. An important official in each janapada was the Rājuka. The designations Prādeśika and Rathika possibly suggest the existence of territorial units styled pradeśa and rattha or rashtra.
2 Mahāmātras of Śrāvasti are, according to certain scholars, mentioned in the Sohgaura copperplate inscription found in a village on the Rāpti, not far from Gorakhpur. But the exact date of the record is not known (Hoernle, JASB, 1894, 84 ; Fleet, JRAS, 1907. 523 ff. ; Barua, Ann. Bhand. Or. Res. Inst., xi, i (1930), 32ff.; IHO, 1934. 54ff.; Jayaswal, Ep. Ind., - xxii, 2).
3 P. 20, 143 f. Cf. the royal epistates or city governor in the Antigonid realm (Tarn, GBI., 24).
4 Cf. also Nagara-dhānya Vyāvahārika, p. 55. The Nagalaka may have had executive functions as well, as is suggested by the evidence of the Arthaśāstra (H. Ch. 36). 5 Pp. 20, 247.
6 P. 247. 7 Rām. II. 16. 3 Vriddhān vetrapānin...stryadhyakshan ; Mbh. IX, 29, 68,90; XV. 22, 20; 23, 12. Cf. the Antarvaišika of the Arthaśāstra.
