ICSE Class 6 Answered

In the Mauryan structure of power, the king was the supreme authority. A council of ministers called mantri parishad advised the king on important matters. The government was divided into several departments like treasury, industry, revenue and security. Every department was looked after by several officials appointed by the monarch. Officials such as mahamatras took care of the everyday administration of the state.

The territories of the empire were divided into several provinces. The most important provinces were put under the control of princes from the royal family. They were called ‘kumaras’. They looked after the administration of the provinces in the capacity of viceroys or royal representatives. The provinces were further divided into districts. Each district contained many nagaras (or towns) and gramas (or villages). At each level, designated officials looked after the day-to-day governance.