Hindu Administrative Institutions c11.s1.6

c11.s1.6

Immediate neighbours were regarded as possibly hostile to each other and those succeeding the first circle of the immediate neighbours were similarly looked upon as potential allies to the king in the centre (*Vijigīṣu*). Each of these States had respectively three factors which constituted their strength, counsel (मंत्र), power (प्रभु), and confidence (उत्साह). He who possessed more of everything was considered superior to the other. Further each State possessed the five other limbs of sovereignty, —the minister, the country, the fort, the treasury, and the army. The relations between these various States were determined in six different ways known as Ṣāḍguṇyam.¹ The source of these six *guṇas* is the seven *prakṛtis* and the *maṇḍala* of twelve kings (द्वादशराजमण्डलं).