Hindu Polity: A Constitutional History of India in Hindu Times c43.98

c43.98

The above five ministers, with the Yuvarāja in addition, made up the real governing body. The Yuvarāja is a post-Vedic development while all others had origin in the Ratnins, except probably Dūta whose function might have been performed by the Sūta as he appears to be rather important in early days.¹ The Yuvarāja, it should be marked, occupies the fourth place in the Government of Chandragupta. Then and later he is not the President of the Cabinet or the Council as there are other officers in those posts; evidently no portfolio is given to him. The Mahā-Bhārata (XII. 83. 12.) calls the cabinet a *gaṇa* and so does the Śukra-nīti (§ 312). The Mahā-Bhārata says that the king should not be partial to any one member of the *gaṇa*.