The Mauryan Polity c8.s1.t7.7

c8.s1.t7.7

The tenure of office for the ministers is not exactly given in the *Arthaśāstra*. Still it prescribes transfer of officers.² The tenure of office seems to have been restricted to five years in certain cities³ and three years in certain other places.⁴ The latter term of office was applicable to the ministers at Takṣaśīla and Ujjayini. The special Edicts—so are called the Kaliṅga Inscriptions by the Epigraphists—reaffirm this principle of retirement and transfer. The technical term for this process of retirement and transfer is *anusaṃyānam*.⁵ In the light of the *Arthaśāstra* it would be a far cry to take the term as meaning administrative tour. As it often happened that the provincial ministry arrogated to itself too many powers, which led to risings of the citizens, as for instance in Takṣaśīla. It is reasonable to assume that no permanent council was aimed at, and new ministers were appointed ordinarily every three or five years, to quote V. A. Smith ‘designed to prevent the abuses apt to arise when officials remain too long in a particular locality.’¹