2.2. Element of the Minister or Amatya

Constitutionally, the state functionary next in importance to the king is the Amatya. This term appears to stand for all high officers, whether councillars or executive heads of departments. minister. Amatya means Prime. The position of the Amatya was very important. He was also authorised to use the royal seal and signet. Such a high dignitary was Amatya that he could make or unmake the king. The king always consulted him on all 22. manusmrti - 12.46. etara: afrunda erai da gelfear: 1 vadayuddhapradhanasca madhyama rajasi gatih || I

1 42 important occasions but the king was free to follow his advice. 23 Sometimes he set aside his counsels and proSomadeva says ceeded according to his own discretion. 24 that a king should not depend upon a single minister; the prosperity of one doing so being compared to a creeper 25 climbing a tree with a single branch. Some of the ministers were in-charge of the secretariat and some were councillors of the kings. Their rapid succession shows that they very often changed their portfolios. Sometimes the Amatya is found ruling over a province. In such case, Amatya stands for a counselor with whom the king is to hold secret consultations, while Amatya refers to an executive officer in general. It is possible that the Amatya was originally the ruler's personal companion 23. mantribhirmantrite mantre gunadosau vicarya ca | svayam niscityanyatarat karyam kuryanmahipatih || 2.9.716. yajnavalkya smrti - rajadharma prakarana 312. sa mantrinah prakurvita prajnanmilamsthiran sucin | taih sardham cintayedrajyam viprenatha tatah svayam || 24. bahulabham susadhyam ca dharma - kirtivivardhanam | karya vicarya kartavyam bhubhuja sukhamicchata | 2.9.718. 25. somadevasya yasastilakah 3.230. ekamatye mahipale nalam laksmirvijrmbhate | latayastatra ka vrddhih sakhaika yatra sakhini || I 1

43 and was not formally connected with state-administration; though in importance next only to the king. From the discussion in this chapter, it would appear that according to Somesvara himself the Amatya to be preferred is one who is a native of the territory, who follows the teaching of all the Sastras, who is free from disease, and is strong and of noble birth. More specifically a large number of qualities expected in an ideal thinker are 26 enumerated in Manasollasa, (Second Prakarana, Second Adhyaya). The mantrin seems to have been primarily a counselor (from Mantra counsel). The counsel, as a part of the administrative machinery, had its origin in very early times. The terms indicative of the existance of the institution are abundant in early Sanskrit literature. Among them may be mentioned, Sabha, Samiti, Samgati, Vidatha, Parisad, as also the compounds like Sabhapati, sabhapala, Sabhacara, Sabhasada. The references to the existence of this 26. kulinah srutasampannah sucayascanuraginah | sara dhirasca niroga nitisastravisaradah || 2.2.52-59. kamandakiya nitisara nitisara - caturtha sargah 25. kulinah cayah surah srutavanto'nuraginah | dandanitiprayoktarah sacivah syurmahipateh || kautilya arthasastra - 9.1. janapardo'bhijatah svavagrahah krtasilpascaksusmanprajno . ||

44 27 institution, among the Gods also points to its use by men. Minister, or mantrin because of his training and knowledge, could give expert advice on state affairs. In this capacity he seems to have early taken over the work of actual administration. The most important function of the mantrin is to give advice to the king. At the end of a fairly long discussion, Somesvara asserts that the king should appoint six or seven counsekors. It is agreed that a single mantrin would be difficult to control. Two might quarrel and ruin the state or conspire against the king. The Matsya-purana advises the king never to make decisions alone nor to consult many in regard to a 28 29 27. Rgveda. X.11.8. mentions Daivi samiti; JaiminiyaUpanisad Brahmana, 11.11.13, 14 refers to the Sabha of Gods. Cf. R.N.Dandekar. 'Sources of ancient Indian Polity, Election of king, AV 3.4' B.K.Barua Comm.Vol. (Gauhati 1966) pp. 32-37. 28. anvayadagatan suddhanupadhabhih pariksitan | manusmrti - sacivan sapta vastau va kurvita matiman nrpah || 2.2.57. 7.54. maulamchastravidah suramllabdhalaksan kulodgatan | sacivansapta castau va prakurvita paricitan || kamandakiya nitisara ekadasah sargah 67. - dvadaseti manuh praha sodaseti brhaspatih usana vimsatiriti mamtrinam mantramandalam || 29. kautilya arthasastra - 1,7.94. sahayasadhyam 'rajatvam cakumekam na vartate | | kurvita sacivamstasmattesam ca srrnuyanmatam ||

45 30 matter of state. The same is the injunction of the Manasollasa. 31 The vicinity of the counsel is to be kept clear of deaf men, blind men, dullards, dwarfs, idiots, sick persons, children, old men, women, the crooked, lame and emaciated, as also parrots etc. 32 A mantra is said to be Pancanga, i.e., it discusses an undertaking in its five-fold aspects, namely, allies, place, time, removing the obstacles and attaining happiness through success. The king is supreme in the matter of arriving at decisions. For, it is stated that according to circumstances the king may hold consultation with one mantrin or with two or even with none at all, taking a decision all by himself. But if that decision is very 30. Matsya-Purana. 220-37. mantro 31. bahubhirbhidyate mantro dvabhyam na nasyati | 4 atmana vihito mantri brahmana'pi na bhidyate || 2.9.700. 32. badhirandhajadan mukan vyadhitan vrddhabalakan i priya api striyo mlecchamstirasco spi sukadikan || 2.9.702. 33. karyasya sadhanopayah sahayastatkrtau ksamah | desakalavicarasca vighnanam ca pratikriya || karyasiddhau sukham ceti pancago mantra isyate | gustrakramate'pyesa canakyadimate tatha || 2.9.697-698.

46 34 clear, it will be successful. Moreover the king is advised to seek their opinions singly as well as jointly, trying to fathom the motives that may have impelled them to express divergent opinions. The functions of the parisad are declared to be starting a work, or continuing an undertaking already begun, improving a work, and impleIt is added that in urgent mentation of orders issued. matters both the mantrins as well as the Mantriparisad should be summoned for consultation. He holds the view that a person quarrelsome by nature, belonging to a strong party, passionate, bad in character and coming from a low family, unsubmissive, spendthrift, foreigner and miser, should not be appointed as a minister or as a members of the council. Experts should be appointed as ministers in their respective posts. Fitness should be the only 36 criterion for office. It is always true that eligibility 34. pascattapavihinasca sanubandham sukhodayah | abhistascavilambasca visisto mantra isyate || 2.9.699. 35. kim krtam karaniyam kim kriyamanam ca kim maya | kim siddham kimu sadhyam me cintyam muhurmuhuh || 2.9.797. 36. yogaksemasukharthaya dustasamyamanaya ca | matsyapurana atmanasca vinodaya rajna yojya yatharhatah || 2.2.150. -- 215.83. yasmin karmani yasya syadvisesena ca kausalah | tasmin karmani tam raja pariksya viniyojayet || somadevasya nitivakyamrta pr . 199. yo yatra karmani kusalastam tatra niyojayet || 1

47 is the most important quality of the state administration and also in secular life. Somesvara discusses the departments of the state and character of the heads of the departments. Somesvara gives names of officers and departments. He mentions in Manasollasa (third chapter) 37 sixty six departments and their officers. The Manasollasa has a technical term for the council, namely, mantrimandala. Somesvara says that the king is bound to follow the dictates of the council, otherwise in the eye of the constitutional law he would cease to be the king. All the authorities on law have laid a great stress on the importance of Mantriparisad, without which a king becomes an autocrat and plans for ruin due to his hasty actions. With the help of the council of ministers, the king can achieve all the desired objects. J 37. samviseyuryathasthanamasanesu nrpajnaya | desadhikarinah kecit kecidgama dhikarinah || dharmadhikarinah kecit kecidarthadhikarinah | kamadhikarinah kecit kecitkosadhikarinah || malyadhikarinah kecit kecidurgadhikarinah | tuladhikarinah kecitkecinmudradhikarinah || dutadhikarinah kecitkecidvipadhikarinah || bharadhikarinah kecitkecidustadhikarinah || 3.11.1263-1266.

48 Councilors have been called Amatya, Purohita, Senapati, Dharmadhikarin, Dandadhikarin, Lekhaka and so on. This shows that there was definitely a council of ministers, the chief of which was called Mahamatya. Co-operation among the ministers is considered to be the best policy of the council, for it will prove a strong pillar to the Somesvara does not prescribe any tests to ascerstate. tain the character of councilors. However, these are general rules for the selection of councilors. But, in the selection of particular councilors like Sandhivigrahika, Purohita, Senapati, Ganaka, Dandadhikari and others, Somesvara has laid down some special test. Regarding a Sandhivigrahika or an Ambassador, he says that "The knowledge of grammar and logic, influential position, expressiveness, power of fluent talking, genious, discretionary power, knowledge of most of the languages and alphabets, knowledge of time, place and events, intelligence in rapid reading and writing are the essential ,,,38 qualities of an ambassador. In describing the 38. pragalbho matiman daksah sarvabhasavisaradah | sandhivigrahamansvajno lipijno'ksaravacakah || 2.2.127-30. mahabharata - santiparva 69.65. sukraniti atsyuufula uzytai alzata glufbor sandhayasanamityeva yatrasandhanameva ca || 4.1066. utta: frutfadmott-hadi urfa ar: 1 at fat afuferycar faggaty veta: ||

qualifications of others like Suhrt (friend), Purohita, Ganaka, Dandadhikari, Pratihari, Sarathi, sudadhyaksa, Kumaradhyaksa, and so on. Somesvara follows the earlier writers and adds some more qualities. Powers of the Cabinet or Council—Somesvara says that every enterprise of the king should be preceded by deliberation with councilors. He, like Kamandaka and Kautilya, sets forth the need for taking proper and firm decision on an intricate subject, to arrive at a correct decision on a known subject, to reinforce what is decided to eradicate the doubts in a subject of doubtful nature and to get full knowledge of the implications of a subject which is only partially known. The resolutions should be put, as soon as possible, into action. Action, indeed, is the very essence of deliberaChanges in the attitude, changes in the countinance due, to anger and love, intoxication, carelessness and talking in sleep and other evil habits are the causes of the betrayal of deliberations. At the time of the tion. 39 deliberation there should be no hot discussion or random 40 talk. The duty of the councilors is to offer whole- 39. ahuya mantrinah sarvan mantrayeta prthak prthak | abhipraya arfayni fafardai quatat fauteuq || 2.9.715. 40. adharmyamayasasyam ca pascattapakaram ca yat | durlabham klesabahulam / tanna mantrayet | 2.9.720. / durmantram

50 some counsel, they should not flatter or mislead their master.