Hindu Law and Custom (Recht und Sitte) c9.79

c9.79

High treason (*nṛpadroha*) is punished very sternly. He who forges a royal edict or bribes the ministers of the king or serves his enemies or is in an understanding with them or being a man of low origin strives for royal position, or opposes the royal commands will be sentenced to death (M. 9, 232, 275; Vi. 5, 14). If a man raises his hand against the king, even though he is wicked, he shall be impaled and burnt to death because his sin is worse than killing 100 Brahmans (Nār. 15, 31). He who expresses inimical views about the king (e. g. if he praises his enemies, Mit.) or vilifies him or betrays his plan shall have his tongue cut off and will be banished; if a person mounts the animal on which the king rides or sits on his throne, he shall pay the highest amercement (Y. 302 f.). High treason as well as the violation of any of the very numerous rules of etiquette about deportment at royal court belongs to those crimes which the king himself can investigate on his own initiative and pass sentence even though he has not been informed about it by any complainant (§40). In such cases the performance of a divine ordeal too may be imposed on the suspected criminal (§52). Crimes against public order are likewise subjected to heavy punishments, e. g. the breaking of a dike is punished by death (Vi. 5, 15; Y. 2, 278; M. 9, 279).