Tag: history

Some janapadas had a gana-parishad of senior citizens. Members of the gana-parishad came together for discussions and made decisions regarding administrative issues.

The Nandas ruled the Magadha Empire between 364 BCE and 324 BCE. They had set up a good administrative system necessary to run the huge empire. They had a huge four-column army of infantry, cavalry, chariots and elephant. They were succeeded by the Mauryans.

Some janapadas which gradually became stronger and expanded their geographical boundaries were known as mahajanapadas. From the literature of that period, it is clear that up to the sixth century BCE, sixteen mahajanapadas had acquired special importance.

As the rulers of the mahajanapadas were, building huge forts, maintaining big armies, they needed more resources. And they needed officials to collect these. So, instead of depending on occasional gifts brought by people, as in the case of the raja of the janapadas, they started collecting regular taxes.

The rulers of mahajanapadas were engaged in building forts, maintaining huge armies for the protection of their territory and the subjects. They needed more resources which could be obtained from taxes. Crafts persons, farmers, hunter-gatherers, herders were liable to pay these taxes in one form or the other. Hunter-gatherers provided forest produce to the raja as a tax.