Hindu Administrative Institutions c10.s2.2

c10.s2.2

They are on the other hand big territorial units comprising a vast area. Even the ideas of an empire are not unknown. The *Rāmāyaṇa* shows an Indian Empire in theory stretching from the Himalayas to Ceylon all under the sway of Rāma. In this epoch again the subsidiary sources of law exercised a profound influence. With the organization of the judicial department there was also an advancement in legal procedure. The duty of the judges was the same as it is to-day. The application of the law to cases coming before them and interpretation of its technicalities and advice to the king on law, morality, and ethics were their chief functions.¹