State and Government in Ancient India c15.140

c15.140

It is thus clear that when the Smṛitis and Nītis recommend that ministers should be selected on the hereditary principle, they were enunciating a theory that was widely followed in actual practice. If, however, the son of a minister was incompetent, it is expressly laid down that he should not be appointed to the ministerial post ; he may be offered some inferior post.¹