Indian Traditions, Culture &

Society
DR. RAJEEV RAJPUT
ASSISTANT PROFESSOR
DEPARTMENT OF APPLIED SCIENCES & HUMANITIES
ABES INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY, GHAZIABAD
[email protected]

LECTURE 2
 Contents
✓ Kingship
✓ Council of Ministers
✓ Administration
✓ Political Ideas in Ancient India
 Kingship
The king was the most important figure in the body politic. In the Saptānga theory
of the state, developed by Kautilya the king has been described as the head or the
most important organ of the state. The king performed multi-dimensional functions.
The king’s functions involved the protection not only of his kingdom against
external aggression, but also of life, property and traditional custom against internal
foes. He protected the family system by punishing adultery and ensuring the fair
inheritance of family property. He protected widows and orphans by making them
his wards. He protected the rich against the poor by suppressing robbery. He
protected the poor against the rich by punishing extortion and oppression. Religion
was protected by liberal grants to learned brahmins and temples.
The Arthashāstra suggests a time-table for the king’s day, which allows him only four and
a half hours sleep and three hours for eating and recreation, the rest of the day being spent
in the different kinds of affairs of the state. The king is told that he must be prompt in the
administration of justice and always accessible to his people.
According to Altekar, the position, powers and privileges of the king have varied from age
to age. In the prehistoric period, the king was only the senior-most member in the council
of peers. There was a popular council (samiti) to actively supervise his administration. His
position was insecure, and powers were limited.
After 500 BC, the office of king was elevated to new heights. During this period the king
became the effective head of the executive administration and there was no popular
assembly like samiti to check him. He controlled both the treasury and the military forces,
though commander-in-chief and treasurer were under him. Ministers were selected by the
king and held office at his pleasure. The king presided over the council of ministers and its
decisions had to receive royal assent.
 Council of Ministers
Ministers or council of advisors have been regarded by ancient Indian political thinkers as a very vital
organ of the body politic. The Mahābhārata observes at one place that the king is as vitally dependent
upon ministers as animals are upon clouds, brahmins on the Vedas and women upon their husbands.
Manusmriti points out that even a simple thing appears as difficult if one is to do it single handed;
why then attempt to run the complex machinery of the administration without the assistance of
ministers.
The size of this mantriparishad or council of ministers varied, and the authorities suggested figures
ranging from seven to thirty-seven. It seems that the body was divided into two parts mantrina and
mantriparishad. Mantriparishad was the large body resembling a modern council of ministers. It
consisted of all the ministers. Mantrina was a smaller body or a core organization within the
mantriparishad largely resembling the modern cabinet. It included the few most important ministers
like the purohita (priest), senapati (supreme commander of army) and yuvaraja (the crown prince).
The council's purpose was primarily to advise the king, and not to govern, but it was no
mere rubber-stamping body. Councilors should speak freely and openly and that the king
should consider their advice. In fact, the council often exerted great powers. It might
transact business in the king's absence, and it might take minor decisions without
consulting him. The council of ministers was not merely a recording body, for very often it
used to suggest amendments to king's orders or even recommended their total reversal.
 Administration
With the advent of the Mauryas on the political stage of India, bureaucracy
developed as a well organized, hierarchical, cadre-based administrative system. If we
rely on the Arthashastra of Kautilya the establishment of a large and complex
bureaucracy was a remarkable feature of the Mauryan government.
The Arthashastra of Kautilya mentions 18 tirthas who are called mahamatras or
high functionaries. Although the term mahamatra is used only on a few occasions in
the Arthashastra, its real counterpart being amatya it is familiar enough in Ashokan
inscriptions. In addition to the 18 trithas, Kautilya provides in some detail accounts
of 27 superintendents (adhyaksas) concerned mostly with economic functions and
some military duties though social functions are not ignored.
The Mauryas developed a well-organized bureaucracy. With the help of this
centralized bureaucratic structure not only did the government regulate the economic
life of the country, but it also took an important part in it. All mines including pearl
beds, fisheries and salt pans, were owned by the state, and were either worked
directly with the labour of criminals or let out to entrepreneurs, from whom the king
claimed a percentage of output as royalty.
 Political Ideas in Ancient India
Political ideas like liberty, justice, fraternity and nationalism are a product of the modern age.
If viewed strictly from the lens of the contemporary period, we can't find any systematic
expression of these ideals, in ancient India. But seen from a different perspective, ancient
Indians did have these ideas in a rudimentary form.
Showing the importance of freedom, the Vedas state that independence is necessary for
mankind and those who are not independent are worse than dead. In varnashrma institution
too, an independent living has been kept in mind. A man lived independently during
Grihasthaashrama and when he was likely to be dependent on the offspring coming of age,
there is the provision of the older people resorting to Vanprastha and then to Sanyasa, again
living freely in the solitude of hills and dales rather than living as dependent on their
children. For disposal of justice the Mauryan state had a system of judiciary. Dharmasthiya
was the civil court and kantakashodhana was organized to deal with a large number of
economic crimes.
The Ramayana extols this country as a karmabhumi, the land of pious acts. This
shows the belongingness of people to land and their fellow beings. The early seeds
of nationalism can be traced in this instance. Similarly, the ideas of ancient Indian
thinkers was vasudhaivakutumbakam (treating the whole world like a family). This
was the concept of universal brotherhood or fraternity.
From the days of Plato and Aristotle, European thought has turned its attention to
such questions as the origin of the state, the ideal form of government, and the basis
of law and the politics has long been looked on as a branch of philosophy. From the
above discussion, it is clear that ancient India also thought about such questions, but
she had no schools of political philosophy in the Western sense.
THANK YOU…