The Social Organisation in North-East India in Buddha's Time c12.6

c12.6

III. 170). Probably, the question here, as in the short absence of the king from the city mentioned in the Râjovâda Jâtaka (janapadaṃ parigaṇhissâmîti amacce rajjaṃ paṭicchâpetvâ II. 2), is only of a temporary direction of State affairs. Leaving aside such exceptional cases, the influence of particular ministers upon the course of internal and external politics depends upon the intelligence and energy of the then head of the State. Not every king could be so independent of his ministers, could behave so arbitrarily with them as the Magadha King Bimbisâra, of whom it is said in the Culavagga of the Vinaya Piṭaka (VII. 3.5), that he stripped some of his ministers (mahâmattas), who had advised him badly, of their offices, degraded other ministers with whose advice he was not satisfied, and promoted those, whose advice he approved of, to higher positions. In the Jâtakas even, we find examples of such an arbitrary treatment of ministers¹; but there occur in contrast with them, cases where the king makes over the entire charge of government to a minister and willingly abides by his superior advice.