The Mauryan administration had several distinctive features. The empire had five major political centres – the capital Pataliputra and the provincial centres of Taxila, Ujjayini, Tosali and Suvarnagiri. This suggests a well-organised administrative structure to govern the vast territories. The empire was extensive, stretching from present-day North West Frontier Provinces of Pakistan to Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Uttarakhand in India.

Several elements of this administration are clearly evident in Asokan inscriptions. Firstly, all five major political centres are mentioned in these inscriptions, confirming their administrative importance. Secondly, the geographical spread of the inscriptions themselves – found across the empire from north-west to south and east – demonstrates the extent of Mauryan control.

A significant feature evident in the inscriptions is Asoka's dhamma policy. Asoka was the first ruler to inscribe his messages to subjects and officials on stone surfaces – natural rocks and polished pillars. His inscriptions proclaim dhamma, which included respect towards elders, generosity towards Brahmanas and those who renounced worldly life, treating slaves and servants kindly, and respect for religions and traditions other than one's own.

The inscriptions reveal that Asoka used them as an administrative tool to communicate directly with his subjects. Unlike later rulers who adopted grandiose titles, Asoka's message was more humble, suggesting a different approach to kingship. Historians have noted that the same message was engraved virtually everywhere across the empire, raising questions about whether such a vast territory could have had a uniform administrative system.