Hindu Polity: A Constitutional History of India in Hindu Times c43.129

c43.129

This list makes it clear that *Senāpati* here is not the military Commander-in-Chief but the Minister of War. The military leader was the *Nāyaka*. The Lord Chief Justice is called the Judge instead of the *Prāḍvivāka* of later times. The President of the Mantri-Parishad is the Pradhāna of the Śukranīti. He received an allowance from the Civil List (Artha-Śāstra, p. 245). Govindarāja commenting on the "the 18 Tīrthas," Rāmāyaṇa, II. 100. 36, quotes from an unnamed work on *Nīti-śāstra* and gives a few different designations in later terminology. In the place of *Praśāstṛi* which is obscure in the pages of the Artha-Śāstra, he gives *Kārāgāra-adhikṛit* which elucidates the former. It should be translated as Inspector General of Prisons (lit., 'Corrector of Convicts.').¹ Against the tīrthas nos. 8 and 9 of the Artha-Śāstra, Govinda-rāja gives *Artha-sañchaya-kṛit* or the Chancellor of the Exchequer. The *Pradeśhṭṛi* who in the Civil List (Artha-Śāstra, p. 245) does not occupy a place amongst the *Amātyas*, appears as *Kārya-niyojaka* in Govinda-rāja and is explained as the Despatcher or Director of Royal Orders (राजाज्ञायाः बहिः प्रचारकर्त्ता). Instead of *Vyāvahārika* Govinda-rāja has the younger term *Prāḍvivāka* [the Pāli Canon knows only *Vohārika*]. The *Nāyaka* who appears in the Artha-Śāstra as the Highest Military Commander is represented by *Senā-nāyaka* and the *Paura* by *Nagarādhyaksha*. The *Mantri-Parishat-adhyaksha* corresponds to *Sabhya* (whom Govindarāja incorrectly connects with the building Sabhā). Govindarāja's authority has a new officer *Dharmādhyaksha* who is, I think, identical with *Paṇḍita amātya* of the Śukra-nīti. The order in Govindarāja is slightly altered after no 8 of our Artha Śāstra list.