How did the Mauryan state, through the 'Panyadhyaksha' (Superintendent of Commerce), regulate the profit margins of merchants to protect consumers?

Options:

• A: Merchants were allowed unlimited profits on imported goods but were completely banned from making any profit on indigenous goods.
• B: A fixed profit margin was permitted—typically 5% on indigenous goods and 10% on imported goods—with heavy fines for any profit charged beyond this limit.
• C: The state fixed a uniform profit margin of 25% across all categories of goods, irrespective of their origin or scarcity.
• D: Price control was completely decentralized, and local village panchayats decided the profit margins on a daily basis.

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