The centralised bureaucratic system of the Mauryan Empire (about 321 to 185 BCE), described in Kautilya's Arthashastra and in the account of the Greek envoy Megasthenes (the Indica), the most elaborate state machinery of ancient India.
- Highly centralised monarchy with the king at the apex, advised by a council of ministers (mantriparishad) and assisted by high officers called tirthas (such as the mantri, purohita, senapati, and yuvaraja).
- The empire was divided into provinces, often headed by princes (kumara or aryaputra); the four major provincial capitals were Taxila, Ujjain, Tosali, and Suvarnagiri.
- Districts and villages were administered by officers like the pradeshika, rajuka, and yukta; the gramani headed the village.
- Megasthenes described a city administration (Pataliputra) run by six committees of five members each, covering industry, foreigners, births and deaths, trade, manufactures, and tax on sales.
- An extensive espionage network (spies called gudhapurushas and sansthas) and a large standing army, supported by land revenue (usually one-sixth of produce), tolls, and taxes.
The Arthashastra-Kautilya link, the Megasthenes account, the six committees of Pataliputra, and the one-sixth revenue share are standard ancient-administration facts.
Megasthenes (Greek, Mauryan period) is different from Fa-Hien (Chinese, Gupta period); Kautilya, Chanakya, and Vishnugupta are the same person.
Centralised Mauryan bureaucracy of the Arthashastra, with provincial princes, a spy network, and Pataliputra run by six committees.