Public Administration in Ancient India c8.34

c8.34

The system of government may be described as a limited monarchy. There were various checks on the authority of the monarch. The King had to abide by the law as laid down in the Sāstras or embodied in the customs of the country. In the practical work of administration he was guided by his ministers, who occupied an important position in society and wielded the real power in the State.² Then, there was the influence of the learned Brāhmanas as a class, who were looked upon by the people as the natural guardians of society. With these checks operating on the governmental system it was very difficult for a king to have his own way in the administration of the country. Occasionally, under a strong and capable ruler like Asoka or Harshavardhana, the government might resemble a paternal despotism,¹ but it was very rarely that the power of the King was quite absolute.² The Sāstras he regarded as embodying a sort of political constitution as well as ethical law, and the ancient system of government may thus be called a constitutional monarchy. It must, however, be remembered that the devices by which the monarch's authority was kept within proper limits were more moral than political. The most suitable term which can be used to describe the system appears in our opinion to be ‘Sachivatantra.’³ The different parts of the governmental machinery of this system will be described in some detail in the next few chapters.