In the context of the Mauryan administrative machinery as detailed in Kautilya's Arthashastra, the official designated as 'Samaharta' was primarily entrusted with which of the following responsibilities?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The Samaharta was the chief collector of revenue in the Mauryan administration, responsible for organizing the collection of taxes from various sources including rural areas, cities, mines, and forests. The counterpart official was the Sannidhata, who functioned as the chief royal treasurer and superintendent of storehouses. Kautilya outlines elaborate bureaucratic procedures for maintaining fiscal records and auditing government expenditures to ensure a robust state treasury.