Study Guide · Chapter 20
Administration and Political Institutions Across Ages — A Comparative View
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| Feature | Vedic Age | Mauryan Empire | Gupta Empire |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nature of state | Tribal, semi-pastoral | Highly centralised bureaucracy | Decentralised, more feudal |
| King's status | First among equals, elected/selected | Semi-divine, autocratic, "Devanampiya" | "Parama Bhattaraka," but power shared with feudatories |
| Local bodies | Sabha, Samiti, Vidatha | Municipal boards (per Megasthenes) | Village councils, guild involvement in local matters |
| Land revenue | Voluntary "bali" becoming compulsory | Fixed share (c. 1/6th), directly collected | Often assigned via land grants to Brahmanas/temples |
| Espionage | Not prominent | Elaborate spy network (Gudhapurushas) | Less centralised control |
| Army | Tribal levies | Large standing army, war elephants, described by Megasthenes | Feudal levies supplementing a smaller standing force |
A broad trend across ancient Indian history is the move from tribal/lineage-based polities (early Vedic) to highly centralised bureaucratic empires (Mauryan) and then toward more decentralised, land-grant-based "feudal" structures from the Gupta period onward — a transition historians describe using the (debated) framework of "Indian feudalism."
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