The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c13.s1.33

c13.s1.33

From this perspective we can, I think, readily understand the mahāmātrās' role as cosharers or holders of differential rights in the realm, among whom the king is but a primus inter pares. Indeed, Kauṭilya seems to concede as much when he deals with succession at the death of the king. In case there is no obvious successor, an *amātya*, a minister or household officer, should present a likely pretendent to the assembled mahāmātras, saying: "This one is a trust with you, consider his father, his quality, and noble birth and that of yourselves; he is but the standard, you are the masters".⁵⁵ Obviously this is a stratagem to obtain the consent of the assembly, but in order to be effective, this flattering statement about the status of the mahāmātras should have a firm basis in the accepted norms. We have, therefore, to conclude that the mahāmātras are not far from being *svāminaḥ*, masters of the realm. They closely resemble in this respect the ratnins in the rājasūya, who are said to be "the givers and takers of kingdom."⁵⁶