History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c13.s1.2

v1.c13.s1.2

The ministers were certainly as necessary a part of the administration as the nobles. They were called Mantris (councillors.) or Sachivas (helpers) or Amātyas (those who live with the king, the word being derived from Amā together ). Their number was not fixed, but they had separate departments to look to, or functions to discharge. The most important and usually mentioned is the सान्धिविग्रहिक or the minister of peace and war, in other words the minister for foreign affairs. Thus Bāṇa describes Harsha as asking his foreign minister to write to all courts ( महासंधिविग्रहधिकृतमवन्तिकमन्तकस्थमादिदेश H. C. p. 263 ). These officers are called mahā or great because they belong directly to the court and attend on the king. They were often hereditary. See Corp. Ins. III p. 35. अन्वयप्राप्तसाचिव्यो व्याप्रतसंधिविग्रहः In grants of inam villages the names of such officers frequently find mention. These Śāsanas ( or Sanads ) are written by a responsible officer who is usually described as भोगिक, one who is entrusted with the collection of भोग or tax i. e. a revenue officer, sometimes even the foreign minister also. It was customary to give the name of the father and the grandfather also of the writer. See e. g. Corp. Ins. III p. 104. लिखितं च वक्त्रामात्यप्रणप्त्रा भोगिकनदत्तनप्त्रा भोगिक रविदत्तपुत्रेण महासांधिविग्रहिक सूर्यदत्तेन. See also ditto p. 119. लिखितं मया भोगिक राज्यकामात्यनष्टभोगिकश्रवदत्तभोगिक गुंजकीर्तिना. Bhogika has not been explained by Dr. Fleet but as we have just said he probably was a minister of Bhoga or revenue.* The grants also always mention a Dūtakara ( messenger ) who is always an important person. It appears that a minsiter or other important officer was specially deputed to deliver on the spot the land or village to the grantee and to make the grant known to the villagers and village officers. For instance, in the grant at page 119 ditto, the Dūtaka is उपरिक-दीक्षित-गृहपति स्थपति-सम्राट्शर्यदत्तः ‘who was the chief of sacrificers, householders and sthapatis’, probably the head of the department of religion or state church. Sometimes the grant deed was written out at the king’s own dictation and the word स्वमुखाज्ञया is used, see Corp. Ins. III p. 199. And it is curious to note that grant deeds were sometimes signed by the king himself. Harsha's own signature is thus before us in the Banskheda grant.* Probably the king signed the deed written on paper and the copyist engraved its exact counterpart on copper, for the real signature is on the copper plate. The signature of Harsha is in a very ornate hand. Ornate letters were then usually written. And it is further curious to add that the word for signature is its exact English equivalent in the expression "given under my own hand," (स्वहस्तो मम महाराजश्रीहर्षस्य). Further the signature is not sufficient and must be supported by the seal as in English documents. The seal or मुद्रा of Harsha is thus also known to us, and usually the seal was impressed on the linking of the copperplates. Strangely enough our connection with our own past is so completely broken by the intervening Mahomedan rule that we have forgotten our ancient words for seal and signature namely मुद्रा and स्वहस्त and know only the Mahomedan equivalents namely Muhr and Sahī. The use of the king's own signature shows that the ministers had not the power to make valid grants of lands and villages. Their authority was restricted.