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520 POLITICAL HISTORY OF ANCIENT INDIA
or town councils and of a city official called Nagarakshadarśa whose functions are nowhere distinctly stated in the inscriptions but seem to have been similar to those of the Nagaravyāvahārikas, or city judges, of the Maurya Age.
Regarding general administration, and the government of provinces, districts and villages, we have more detailed information. The designations of some of the highest officers of state did not differ from those in vogue during the Maurya period. Mahāmātras, and Rajjukas play an important part in the days of the Satavahanas and Scythians as in the time of Asoka. But side by side with these functionaries we hear of others who do not figure in inscriptions of the Maurya Epoch although some of them appear in the Arthaśāstra attributed to Kautilya.
The officers most Intimately associated with the sovereign were the privy councillors, the Matisachivas of the Junagadh epigraph and the Rahasyadhikṛta of the Pallava grants. Among other prominent court officials must be mentioned the Raja Vaidya, Royal Physician, and the Raja Lipikara, Royal Scribe.3
No less important than the privy councillors were the high military officials-the Mahasenapati, the Dandanayaka and the Mahadanda-nayaka who probably
1 EHI4, 226; Lüder's Ins., No. 1351 (Udayagiri Cave Inscription). Cf. Akshadarśa, Patanjali, Index of Words. Oka, Amarakośa, 123 ; Agni Purana, 366, 3; Vin. iii. 47. According to the last mentioned text the 'akkhadassas' constituted a class of Mahamattas, like their prototypes in the time of Aśoka. In later ages the Akshadarśa might have had revenue functions. Cf. Kshira's comment on the passage from the Amarakośa referred to above. The duties of the Akshapaṭalikas of the Gupta period may be mentioned in this connection. 2 Ins., 1190-93.
3 Ins., 271; Kaut., II, 10.
4 1124, 1146.
5 1328, cf. Majumdar's List of Kharoshthi Ins. No. 36. For the duties of a Dandanayaka, cf. IA, 4, 106, 275n; 5, 49; Fleet, CII, 16. Daṇḍanayakas sometimes carved out principalities (rajya) for themselves (JASB, 1923, 343).
