State and Government in Ancient India c21.45

c21.45

Heads of the missions sent to foreign countries were classified into three categories. *Nisṛishṭārtha* ambassador was one who had the full powers of negotiations and *parimitārtha* was one who could not deviate from his instructions. *Śāsanahara-dūta* was merely to deliver the message and take back the reply ; he could not negotiate at all.¹ In ancient as in modern times, the ambassador was a licensed and open spy ; during his stay at the foreign court, he was to cultivate friendly relations with the officials with a view to get a clue to the real policy of the government. He was also to see that the terms of earlier treaties were observed by the king to whose court he was accrediated and also to impress upon him how his own king was very strong and had rich resources. He was to guage the general situation, estimate the state's resources in men and money and get a first hand information from his own spies about the condition of the defences and forts of the country. He was to send his reports home in a cipher code (*gūḍhalekha*).²