Describe the features of the Indian state and the social organization that helped the growth of science and technology in the Maurya and Gilpta period.

Indian state and ;ts policy is described in detail in Arthasastra. written by Kautilya, the great minister of Chadragupta. According to him, it was a highly centralised state which was the principal owner of industry as well as the greatest producer of commodities. The commodities produced by the state were bought and sold by traders. This large revenue was used to maintain a massive army, of half a million men, which was used to acquire land, protect the land and the frontiers, and maintain law and order in the vast empire. Brahmins, as agents of the crown, spearheaded the move into the new territories. A process was initiated whereby tribal deities were equated with standard Aryan gods. Totemic deities such as primaeval fish,
tortoise, monkey, bull etc. were intraduced into the traditional Hindu scriptures as companions of major gods like Vishnu, or their reincarnations. The Brahmins could impose the caste structure quite easily, as they played an important part in introducing a new mode of agriculture and of commodity production to the tribal people.The superstitions, which provided the ideology of the lower castes, in effect, kept them in subjugation. Finally, these superstitions came to have an adverse effect on the growth of scientific ideas. It is not surprising that Asoka reacted to the development of this superstitious and ritualistic culture by adopting the teachings of Buddha. Buddhism, in its early form, devoid of rituals C and superstitions, stood against oppression and advocated a simple and meaningful life based on reason and compassion.