History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.248.3

v4.c62.248.3

These passages show that firstly there was to be a small cabinet of three or four ministers, secondly there was to be a council (*pariṣad*) of ministers who might be eight or more in number according to requirements and thirdly there was a large number of amātyās or sacivas (high functionaries concerned with various departments). The council is mentioned in the 3rd and 6th Rock Edicts of Aśoka (Corpus I. I. vol. I. p. 4 ‘parisā pi yute ājñāpayisati’) in the words ‘the council will order the officers called Yuktas’. The qualifications of ministers (amātyas) are laid down in several places e. g. in Kauṭilya I. 9, Manu VII. 54, Yāj. I. 312, Kām. IV. 25-30 (of which verses 28-30 are almost the same as the words of Kauṭilya), Śānti 118. 2-3 (14 qualities of mantrins are mentioned), Śānti 80. 25-28, Bālakāṇḍa 7. 7-14, Ayodhyākāṇḍa 100. 15, Medhātithi on Manu VII. 54, Agnipurāṇa 239. 11-15 (= Kām. IV. 25 and 28-31), Mānasollāsa II. 2, verses 52-59, Nītivākyāmṛta p. 108, Rājanītiratnākara pp. 13-14 (quoting Nārada and Hārīta), Rājanītiprakāśa pp. 174-178, Rājadharmakaustubha pp. 251-254, Budhabhūṣaṇa pp. 32, 57-58.