Consider the following statements about the Mauryan State and the forest people :
1. The forest people were subjected to new forms of political and economic dominance and the necessity to subordinate and assimilate them led to a change in the earlier attitude of excluding these people from imperial territory.
2. The State recognised that the forest produce was the sole monopoly of the forest people.
3. The State was concerned with the conservation of forests and to this end the burning of forests was prohibited.
4. The forest people could be harnessed to serve the State and could be used as troops, spies and assassins.
How many of the above statements is/are correct?

Question

Accepted Answer

3. Kautilya's Arthashastra and the Mauryan administrative approach treated forests and forest people as important resources. Statements 1, 3 and 4 are correct: the Mauryan State sought to subordinate forest tribes and incorporate them; it actively conserved certain forests (dravyavana, hastivana) and prohibited indiscriminate burning; and forest people were used as troops, spies and assassins (the Aṭavika could be enlisted in the army). Statement 2 is incorrect – forest produce was a State monopoly, not the monopoly of the forest people. Thus three statements are correct.

Explanation

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