History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v3.c41.s22.1

v3.c41.s22.1

One would expect to find the names of ministers in Hindu kingdoms of the 12th century used in the constitution of ministry created by Shivaji when he resuscitated Hindu kingship in the 17th century. But it seems that the Mahomedans of both Northern and Southern India had so completely changed the whole system of administration that nothing remained of the mediæval system or nomenclature. This speaks highly of the independence and originality of the Mahomedan administrators. For even the British administration retains some names and features of the preceding Mahomedan or Maratha administration. How the names and functions of Shivaji's ministers differ from those of ministers in mediæval Hindu India will appear from the following. Shivaji's Ashṭapradhāna or eight ministers were: 1 the Peshwa or prime minister, head of both civil and military administration 2 Senāpati 3 Amātya 4 Sachiva 5 Mantrī 6 Sumanta 7 Paṇḍitarao and 8 Nyāyādhīśa. Amātya was revenue minister and Sumanta was foreign minister while Sachiva was privy seal or record keeper and Mantrī was Private Secretary (Rānade's Rise of Maratha Power p. 126). The name of the chief minister Peshwa was taken from the Mahomedans as people had been so completely accastomed to it that even Shivaji could not change the name and thought it fit to retain it. But the Mahomedans who succeeded Mediæval Hindu kings never thought it necessary to retain any old names. Perhaps Shivaji considered it necessary to show to the people that he was as independent and power ful as the Bijapur Sultan and had his own Peshwa. The other names of ministers introduced by the Mahomedans such as Mujumdar, Surnis, Sabnis, Dabir &c. were changed and new Sanskrit names were assigned and associated with some different functions. Mr. Shejvalkar in his paper published in the Quarterly of Itihāsa Sanshodhaka Mandala, Poona (July-Oct. 1923) has the credit of pointing out that the names of the eight ministers were taken by Shivaji from Śukranītisāra with one or two exceptions,* viz. 1 Sumantra, 2 Pandita 3 Mantrī 4 Pradhāna 5 Sachiva 6 Amātya 7 Prādvivāka and 8 Pratinidhi. The Senāpati was properly put in place of Pratinidhi; but the functions of others were changed from those given by Śukranītisāra. Thus "Sumantra was finance minister, but with Shivaji he became foreign minister. Amātya was land minister but with Shivaji he became finance minister. Mantrī was foreign minister, but he became household officer. Sachiva was war minister but he became Privy Seal." (Shejvalkar). These details are perhaps not quite correct. It is clear that these names and offices are quite distinct from the names and offices mentioned in mediæval inscriptions. Even the Śukranītisāra does not give the names and functions which were in vogue in the 12th century A. D. and we are led to surmise that the Nitisāra is a work written in Mahomedan times. Pandita is a new name entirely though the function was the same as that of the old Darmādhyaksha of mediæval times. Prādvivāka is a name not retained by Shivaji but it was changed into Nyāyādhīśa a name not found in mediæval times or even in Smritis. The Akshapaṭalika, the Sāndhivigrahika and the Bhāndāgārika are names forgotten in the days of the Nitisāra. Amātya has a new meaning and function assigned, while Sachiva is entirely a new name and is assigned a function for which strangely enough there was no distinct provision in mediæval times. Thus the whole system of court administration was forgotten in later times. How local administration also underwent change of nomenclature will be seen from the next chapter.