Multiple choice

What was the duty of an officer called antapala as mentioned in Mahasastra?

  1. Maintenance of village records

  2. Control of the royal stables

  3. Disbursement of salary to the personal guards of the king

  4. Upkeep of the roads and their safety

Reveal answer Fill a bubble to check yourself
D Correct answer
Explanation

In Kautilya's Arthasastra (misspelled as Mahasastra in the prompt), the 'antapala' was an official responsible for the security and maintenance of the frontiers and the roads leading into the kingdom. They ensured the safety of trade routes and collected duties from incoming merchants.