Hindu Polity: A Constitutional History of India in Hindu Times c44.17

c44.17

Without a written document no business of state was done. A matter was endorsed first by the Home Minister, the Lord Chief Justice, the Minister of Law, and the Minister of Diplomacy with the fixed style '*This is not opposed to us*', *i.e.*, their departments had no objection. The Minister of Revenue and Agriculture endorsed with the remark '*The note is all right*,' the Minister of Finance '*Well considered*'; then the President of the Council inscribed in his own hand '*Really proper*'. Next, the Pratinidhi wrote '*Fit to be accepted*', the Yuvarāja following, with ‘*Should be accepted*’ in his own hand. The Ecclesiastical Minister endorsed ‘*This is agreeable to me*’. Every minister affixed his s e a l at the end of his note. Finally the K i n g wrote ‘*Accepted*’ and set his s e a l. He was supposed to be unable to go through the document carefully and the Yuvarāja or some one else was to make this endorsement for him which was shown to him. After this first stage was over, the minute was s i g n e d b y a l l t h e m i n i s t e r s as the C o u n c i l (*gaṇa*) and s e a l e d with the seal of the council. Finally it was once more presented to the king who ‘w i t h o u t d e l a y’ wrote ‘*S e e n*’ as he h a d not the ‘c a p a c i t y’ to criticise it.¹