PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION 1

PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION

Subject : Public Administration

Course : Bachelor of Arts/Master of Arts

Paper Code : B.A./M.A.

Paper – I

Paper Title : Indian Administration

Unit -1 : Introduction

Lecture Title : Ancient Administration in India

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SCRIPT
ANCIENT ADMINISTRATION IN INDIA

Introduction to Arthasastra
The roots of Public Administration in India can be traced to the ancient times.
Kautilya’s ‘Arthasastra’, a treatise on polity and economy is the most
important work in Public Administration in ancient India. Arthasastra was
written by Kautilya between 321 to 300 B.C. He was regarded as one of the
greatest authorities on the science of polity.

Aspects of Administration
Kautilya’s Arthasastra mainly deals with three aspects of the Science of
Administration viz.
i) Principles of Administration
ii) Machinery of Government
iii) Management of Personnel

Principles of Administration:
Arthasastra, does not explicitly deal with the principles of public
administration. They are implied in the executive structures and the
functions assigned to various authorities at different levels.

Machinery of Government:
a) Legislature: As the King was the sole authority of the executive,
judicial and legislative power; there was no need for a legislative body.
Hence, we find that there was no legislative body parallel to the present
day legislature that existed during the time of Kautilya.

b) Executive: The Executive Branch can be divided into the following

sections.
i) The Central Executive or the Secretarial Organization.
ii) The Provincial Executive or the Field Organization.

c) Central Executive: The Central Executive Comprised of

i) King
ii) Mantrins (Trusted Advisors of the King)
iii) The Mantri Parishad

Kautilya in the Arthasastra shows that seven ‘Prakritis’ (elements) constitute

the State. They are, the King, exercising sovereign authority, his Ministers,
his Subjects, the Fortification, the Treasury, the Defensive and Offensive
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forces and The Mitra (Allies). In these elements, Kautilya gives utmost
importance to the King.

i) The King:
In the administrative pattern of Kautilya, the position of the king was always
supreme. The King was the embodiment of the supreme executive. The
qualifications, functions, powers and duties of the King as Chief Executive as
visualized by Kautilya were:

ii) Mantrin:
Kautilya declares that sovereignty is practicable only with the co-operation of
others. He considers it necessary and desirable to have ‘Mantrins’ or
‘Councillors’ to subserve the King. The Mantrins were appointed by the King
and were his trusted advisers. Kautilya postulated that they should be men
who enjoyed the King’s confidence and who are capable of giving him advice
and implicitly following his dictates.

iii) Mantri Parishad:

The Mantri Parishad consisted of the council of Ministers Kautilya was
personally in favour of a big council (akshudra parishad), which always
ensured success. In all urgent matters the king consulted the Mantrins as
well as his Council of Ministers. Though the King could exercise his own free
judgment, yet, more often than not, the majority of opinion was followed in
case of differences.

The Ministers held office during the pleasure of the King and they were no
better than public servants. Though the body of Mantrins of the Council of
Ministers worked only in an advisory capacity, yet there is clear evidence in
the ‘Arthasastra’ that most of them were Departmental heads and were in
charge of the execution of policy.

The Other Officers in Kautilya’s Administration

The Senapati:
Although the King personally lead the forces, the operational role was
entrusted to the ‘Senapati’. He was expected to be skillful in every kind of
tactical and strategic role in actual warfare and to be capable in handling all
kinds of weapons. He had to decide the nature and time of action or
inaction. He selected the field of battle and combing grounds, reinforced the
strength of his army and also tried for creating dissent in the ranks of the
enemy. In times of peace, he looked after the administrative control over
the matters relating to the army and the war offices.
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The Yuva Raja:

He was the Crown prince and enjoyed a different status in comparison to the
other princes of the royal household. He was given a stature equivalent to
that of the purohita, and the senapati. He stayed in the capital and took
active part in the administration of the government.

The Samaharta:
He was the Collector-General and was in charge of the Department of
Revenue collection also its supervision. The functions of the Samaharta as
outlined by Kautilya are:
 To supervise and be responsible for all the activities of the “Jana Pada”
(Province)
 To ensure collection of taxes
 Supervision of the work of the government
 To ensure audit of all accounts of revenue
 To initiate action for increasing the income and decreasing the
expenditure
 To maintain a record of the total number of people and animals in each
village under his jurisdiction.

Sannidhata:
He was the Receiver General and was responsible for the receipts to the
Treasury and the management and upkeep of receipts.

Aksapatala:
He was the Chief Officer to supervise the department of Audit and
Expenditure.

Koshadhyaksha:
He was the Treasury Superintendent who was in charge of the department
for keeping of royal treasures.

Akaradhyaksha:
He was in charge of the Department of the mining and was also responsible
for related activities.

Sauvarnika:
He was in charge of the Department for regulating and controlling the work
jewellary manufacture.

Suvarnadhayaksha:
He was in charge of gold mining and manufacture.
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Koshagaradhyaksha:
He was responsible for the department of receipts and upkeeping of
Agricultural and Forest produce and also for upkeeping the crown’s reserve
for emergency.

Panyadhayaksha:
He was in charge of the Department for the control of supply and
commodities.

Kupadhayaksha:
He was in charge of department of receiving raw vegetable and forest
produce.

The figure given below depicts the hierarchy in the field organization.

FIELD ORGANISATION
Janapada
4 Districts
800 Villages (STHANIK)
400 Villages (DRONAMUKHA)
200 Villages (KHARWATIK)
10 Villages (SANGRAHAN)

Village Administration

The following are some of the salient features of the village administration as
visualized by Kautilya:
a) The village was to be established for a minimum size of 100
families and a maximum size of 500 families.
b) All villages are to be separated by well defined boundaries such
as rivers, hill, forests, valleys, embankments etc.
c) Villages should be in proximity to each other, so that they are
able to protect each other in case of any external aggression or
natural calamity.
d) The village administrator was known as the ‘Gramika’. It is not
clear from the Arthasastra whether he was elected or was
appointed by the Government.
e) The ‘Gramika’ was vested with magisterial authority and was
empowered to expel thieves, criminals, adulterers and other
undesirable persons. He was assisted by a number of officials or
office bearers elected by the people.
The village officials were responsible to the ‘Gopa’ who was the
Village Accountant.
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Management of Personnel
Kautilya’s state was more than a welfare state in the modern sense. The
state fully regulated the life of the citizens to secure happiness of the people.
Kautilya outlined the following important functions of the state i.e. protection
of the society, maintenance of the common law, belief of the social order,
and promotion of social welfare as the theme of state policy. The state not
only regulated economic activities but also actively participated in economic
activities and at the same time controlled private enterprises in many ways.
All these activities were managed by the Civil Servants.

Civil Servants
Civil servants were generally known by the name ‘Amatyas’. These Amatyas
were recruited on the basis of certain tests and qualifications. All Amatyas
were appointed by the king in consultation with two ministers, i.e. the Prime
Minister and the High Priest (Mantri-Purohits Adyaksha). Thus, these two
ministers and the king formed an inner council functioning as a sort of
“Public Service Commission” for making higher administrative appointments.
The following were tests to be administered:

a) Test of Religious allurement:

In this test, a priest was dismissed on some grounds. This dismissed
priest instigated each amatya that the king is unrighteous and he
should rebel against him. If the Amatya refuses to do so, he will be
considered pure. The Amatyas who had stood the religious test are
appointed as Judges of both the Civil (Charmasthiya) and the Criminal
(Kantaksodhak) courts.

b) Test of Monetary allurement:

In the second test, the Commander of army is dismissed for alleged
receipt of condemnable things. He will incite each Amatya to murder
the king to gain immense wealth. If they refuse, they are considered
pure. This was the test of ‘Monetary’ allurement. Those Amatyas who
proved themselves above monetary allurement are appointed as Heads
of Departments dealing with revenue stores.

c) Test of love allurement:

In the test a woman spy under the guise of an ascetic and highly
esteemed person in the harem of the king may attempt to corrupt the
amatya, telling each in turn that the queen is in love with him. If they
discarded the proposal, they are pure and considered to have passed
the test of love allurement. Those amatyas who have shown
themselves to resist temptation of love and flesh, would be the best
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officers to take charge of the department concerning women. They are

to be placed in charge of King’s harem, both in capital and elsewhere.

D) Test of Allurement under fear:

Under the fourth test, the Amatyas are tempted to enter into a plot
against the King’s life. If they pass this test, they are considered to be
pure. Such Amatyas are appointed as the bodyguards of the King.
The King also had a provision through the agencies of spies to verity
the antecedents of the Amatyas.

Those amatyas who have passed the above tests and whose character has
been tested under all kinds of allurements shall be employed to higher
positions.

The ‘Arthasastra’ written by Kautilya represents a definite stage in the

history of Indian Political thought; it deserves to be designated “as the flower
of Indian Political Thought and Statecraft”. In the Arthasastra we can find
the analysis and solutions of many complicated social, political and
administrative problems facing the Government. Though the ‘Arthasastra’
was meant exclusively for the people amongst whom Kautilya lived; yet it is
relevant even today. The Arthashastra has a significant relevance to the
present day administration in India. K.M. Panickker in his book “Survey of
Indian History” has rightly opined that “if the present system is analyzed to
its roots, we will find that it is based on the principles and practices of the
Mauryan State Organization”.

Summary
There was a highly developed system of centralized and personalized public
administration even during the ancient and medieval times. The Arthasastra
and several texts on administration during the medieval times prove this
point. Therefore, the roots of administration can be traced to ancient times.
These can serve as useful pieces of source materials for scholars of public
administration as well as for modern administrators.
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FAQs

1. The administrative system under the Mauryan dispensation was highly

centralized. Examine this statement.

2. The roots of public administration in India can be traced to the ancient

times. Elucidate.

3. Kautilya’s ‘Arthasastra’, a treatise on polity and economy is the most

important work in Public Administration in ancient India. How far is this
statement true?

References

Aravind, S.,
Indian Administration,
Himalaya Publishing House, New Delhi, 1992.

Austin, Graneille,
Working Democratic Constitution: The Indian Experience,
Oxford, 1999.

Avasthi and Avashti,

Indian Administration,
Lakshmi Narain Agarwal, Agra, 1998.

Ramesh K. Arora and Rajni Goyal,

Indian Public Administration-Institution and Issues,
Wishwa Prakashan, New Delhi, 2004.