Hindu Administrative Institutions c10.s3.2

c10.s3.2

It is an interesting topic of discussion whether there were regular courts of justice in the pre-classic and the classical period of Hindu India. There is no certain evidence of the existence of such courts as permanent institutions. It may be that the king heard all such complaints in the open court of his palace with his councillors and advisors, and did justice and gave judgment. The king's court might have served the purpose of a law court. But this was only for the time. Traces of permanent institutions for administration of justice are clearly seen in the *Dharmaśāstra* and the *Arthaśāstra* treatises. There is evidence of the fact that by this time the size of the kingdom must have grown larger which made it impossible for the king to attend to all aspects of an ever-growing administration.