In the context of the Mauryan Empire, the department of commerce and trade headed by the official designated as 'Panyadhyaksha' was primarily responsible for regulating which of the following economic activities?

💡 Solution & Explanation

The official known as Panyadhyaksha in the Arthashastra administrative framework served as the superintendent of commerce, tasked with regulating state trade, fixing prices of commodities, and monitoring both homegrown and imported goods. Alternative choices represent different superintendents such as Akaradhyaksha for mines, Hastyadhyaksha for elephant forests, and Sitadhyaksha for agricultural lands. The Mauryan state exercised extensive bureaucratic control over the agrarian and mercantile economy.