Payment of a fine and physical mutilation
Explanation
The Arthashastra, attributed to Kautilya (Chanakya), is a treatise on statecraft that provides detailed guidelines for economic administration. It includes specific regulations for state-run industries, such as spinning and weaving workshops, which were supervised by the Sutradhyaksha (Superintendent of Weaving).Detailed Analysis:
- The text prescribes rules for the employment of various categories of women (e.g., widows, nuns, differently-abled women) in spinning workshops to process wool, bark, cotton, hemp, and flax.
- To ensure productivity and adherence to contracts, the administration enforced strict discipline.
- According to the Arthashastra, if a woman pledged to perform work but failed to complete the assigned task, she was liable to pay a fine, and her thumbs could be cut off. This provision highlights the severe physical punishments utilized to maintain economic output in state enterprises.
Key Takeaway: The Mauryan administration maintained rigid control over labor in state workshops, utilizing corporal punishment and fines to enforce work quotas as prescribed in the Arthashastra.