The Rashtrakutas and their Times c15.s1.67

c15.s1.67

Treasurer, who is stylled as Samāhartā by Kauṭalya and Sumantra by S'ukra, was another member of the ministry. Saṃgṛhītṛ who figures in the list of the Ratnins of the Vedic period was discharging similar functions. We do not find this minister mentioned in the records of the Rāṣṭrakūṭa dynasty, but he figures in S'ilāhāra records bearing the title of Bhāṇḍāgārika. A large part of government revenues in our period was collected in kind and so this title given to the minister in charge of the treasury is significant. In 1094 A.D., S'ilāhāra king Anantadeva had a small ministry of only 3, and yet Bhāṇḍāgārika was included in it. This would show that the office was regarded as very important; Mahābhārata, (S'āntiparvan 130, 35), Kāmandaka (XXI, 33), Nītivākamṛta (XXI, 5) etc. declare that the treasury was the very root of the state and must be properly looked after. The treasurer figures invariably in the Gahadwala copper plates and his omission in our records must be due to the fact that the Rāṣṭrakūṭa secretariate was not following the practice of mentioning all the ministers and their different portfolios in the copper plate charters.