Hindu Administrative Institutions c11.s1.3

c11.s1.3

The key-note of the foreign policy was to maintain what is known in European History as the ‘balance of power’. To realize this end the conception of ‘a circle of states’ is elaborated in the *Kauṭalīya*. The circle of states was known as the *maṇḍala*. Its invention is however attributed to Uśanas or Sukrāchārya. Foreign rulers are classified by Kauṭalya under four main heads—enemy (*ari*); friend (*mitra*); neutral (*madhyama*); and negligible (*udāsīna*).¹ A circle of states according to Kauṭalya constitutes twelve kings: the invader (*vijigīṣu*), immediate enemy (*ari*); invader’s ally (*mitra*), enemy’s ally (*arimitra*); invader’s ally’s ally (*mitramitra*), enemies’ ally’s ally (*amitramitra*), rear enemy (*pārṣṇigrāha*), rear friend (*ākranda*), ally of rear enemy (*pārṣṇigrāhasāra*), ally of rear ally (*ākrandasāra*), the neutral king (*madhyama*), and the negligible king (*udāsīna*).²