Consider the following pairs of High Offices and concerned Departments in the Mauryan Administration: 1. Samaharttri : Chief Collector of Revenue 2. Dauwarka : Chief of Army 3. Ashtapalata : Records-cum-Audit Officer 4. Samnidhatri : Treasurer Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?

In the Mauryan administrative hierarchy, the Samaharttri (or Samaharta) was the Chief Collector of Revenue, responsible for supervising the exchequer and managing revenue sources like mines, forests, and trade routes [2]. The Samnidhatri served as the Chief Treasurer, maintaining records of tax revenues and managing the state treasury [1]. The Akshapatala (often spelled Ashtapalata in some contexts) was the Records-cum-Audit Officer responsible for maintaining the state's accounts [2]. However, the Dauwarika (or Dauvarika) was the Chief of the Palace Attendants or the Chamberlain, not the Chief of Army [1]. The Chief of Army was known as the Senapati. Therefore, pairs 1, 3, and 4 are correctly matched, while pair 2 is incorrect. This bureaucratic structure, detailed in the Arthashastra, ensured a centralized system of governance and fiscal management across the empire [2].

Sources

1. [1] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Emergence of State and Empire > Provincial Administration > p. 55
2. [2] History , class XI (Tamilnadu state board 2024 ed.) > Chapter 4: Emergence of State and Empire > 4.6 The Mauryan State and Polity > p. 53