Question

Explain the socio-economic conditions that prevailed in India during the Mauryan administration.

Economic Condition

Answer 1

With reference to the character of the Mauryan Empire, the given head is explained as under:

Economic Conditions:

1. Agriculture: Economy, mainly rested on agriculture. Megasthenes affirmed that the soil was too fertile, due to major irrigation works such as the dam on the Sudarshan Lake at Girnar. Arthashastra lays great emphasis on increasing the land-revenue by making deserts and other usable lands, suitable for farming. The amount of tax would depend on irrigation facilities available to the cultivators and could range from one-third to one-sixth of the land-produce.
2. The trade and the Trade-Routes: The Superintendents of the Trades were vigilant towards the manufactured goods. They strictly maintained the quality of goods. The percentage of profit was fixed and excess profit-making was discouraged, even penalized. The trade was carried on both by land and waterways. The royal highway ran from the region nearby Taxila to Pataliputra. From the port of Tamralipti, the ships sailed for the East Coast, Sri Lanka, and Burma (Myanmar). The Buddhist literature refers to the sea-voyages from Barauch (Gujarat) to Babylon.