The Age of the Imperial Guptas c6.6

Language: English

c6.6.1

The term *Kumārāmātya* has been literally translated as “Princes’ Minister.”² But a little comparative study shows that this translation is untenable: because whatever its original meaning might have been, in the beginning of the 4th century A.D. it had acquired a new significance. In the first place we find that even the highest ministers were *Kumārāmātyas*. The Brāhmaṇa Śikharasvāmin, who was the minister (*Mantrin*) of Candragupta II and his son Pṛthiviṣeṇa, who was the minister of Kumāragupta I, were both *Kumārā*- mātyas.¹ During the reign of Kumāragupta I, the governor of the district of Koṭivarṣa was a Kumārāmātya named Vetravarman.² At some time during the rule of the Gupta emperors in Eastern Bengal a Kumārāmātya had been appointed Governor of the Suvvuṅga viṣaya, but his descendants continued to use the seal of the office of the Kumārāmātya even after attaining independence and a later descendant used this seal even in the 8th century.³ The seals discovered by the late Dr. T. Bloch throw a very brilliant flood of light on the bureaucracy of the Gupta empire, and especially on the different classifications in the ranks of Kumārāmātyas. Bloch discovered only three specimens of seals of ordinary Kumārāmātyas. On these seals the figure of Lakṣmī, standing inside a lotus-pond, attended by two dwarfs holding objects, which look like moneybags, occupies the upper halves. The legend on these seals is simply Kumārāmāty-ādhikaraṇasya. Dr.

c6.6.2

Vogel’s brilliant suggestion now enables us to translate it as “(The seal) of the office of the Kumārāmātya.”⁴ At the same place 28 seals were discovered of the next higher class of Kumārāmātyas. They were equal in rank to the Yuvarāja, or a prince of the royal family. The term pādīya was not translated by Dr. Vogel; it means “equal to.” Pāda is used often in the same sense as *kalpa*. *Guru-pāda* is the same as *guru-kalpa* and means “one equal in rank to a preceptor.” There is some difficulty in translating the word *Yuvarāja*, because in the next class of *Kumārāmātyas* we find the use of the term *Yuvarāja-bhaṭṭāraka*. Evidently there were two different classes of *Yuvarājas*. Ordinarily *Yuvarāja* means a heir-apparent, but the use of *Bhaṭṭāraka* along with *Yuvarāja* distinctly indicates two different classes. As there can be only one heir-apparent in a kingdom or empire, such a distinction can only mean that the younger princes of the royal family had also come to be styled *Yuvarājas*, while the real heir-apparent was styled *Yuvarāja-bhaṭṭāraka*. It is evident, therefore, that some of the *Kumārāmātyas* were held to be equal in rank to princes of the blood royal like the princes of the Roman Empire or even the Holy Roman Empire.

c6.6.3

The legends on these seals is *Yuvarāja-pādīya-Kumārāmāty-ādhikaraṇasya*, “(the seal) of the office of the *Kumārāmātya* equal in rank to a prince.” The legend of the third class of *Kumārāmātyas* indicates that officers of this rank were held to be equal to the heir to the empire. Twelve specimens of seals of official of this class were discovered. In the seals of the second class we find the figure of Lakṣmī with an elephant on each side, but without any attendant.¹ In third class we see Lakṣmī with the elephants and two dwarfs holding round pots from which they are pouring out small objects, evidently coins.¹ The legends on the seals of the third class is *Śrī-Yuvarāja-bhaṭṭāraka-pādīya-Kumārāmātya-ādhikaraṇasya*. “(The seal) of the office of the *Kumārāmātya*, equal in rank to the illustrious heir-apparent.” In the fourth or the last class of *Kumārāmātyas* the legends make a startling revelation. Only one specimen of this particular kind was discovered by Bloch at Vaiśālī. The legend runs: *Śrī-paramabhaṭṭāraka-pādīya-Kumārāmātyādhikaraṇasya*; “(The seal) of the office of the *Kumārāmātya*, equal in rank to His Majesty (the Emperor).”² Up to this time officials of the state equal in rank to the sovereign have not been met with in ancient or modern histories. There are other officials equal in rank to the heir-apparent but none except the *Kumārāmātyas* were sufficiently high in rank to be equal to His Majesty the Emperor.

c6.6.4

The Commander-in-chief was held to be equal in rank to the heir-apparent. Only one specimen of a seal of this particular type was discovered at Vaiśālī. On this we see a vase or *kalaśa* in the centre, a conch to the right and the letter *Śrī* to the left. The legend thereon is *Śrī-Yuvarāja-bhaṭṭāraka-pādīya-bal-ādhikaraṇasya*: “(the seal) of the office of the Commander-in-chief, equal in rank to the heir-apparent.”³