History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.37
History of Dharmaśāstra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.37
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According to almost all of our authorities a state (*rājya*) is constituted by seven elements²⁰ viz. *svāmin* (ruler or sovereign), *amātya* (minister), *janapada* or *rāṣṭra* (the territory of the State and its people), *durga* (fortified city or capital), *kośa* (accumulated wealth in the ruler's treasury), *daṇḍa* (army), *mitra* (friends or allies).' These seven are called *aṅgas* or *prakṛtis*. The word prakṛti in works on politics is also used for the constituents of a circle of states (of a maṇḍala). Vide Manu VII. 156 and Kauṭilya (VI.2). The word also means ministers as in Śukranītisāra II. 70-73 and 'subjects' in Khāravela's Inscription (E. I. vol. 20 p. 79 l. 4), Nārada (prakīrṇaka 5), Raghuvaṁśa VIII. 18. The order in which these are arranged and their names vary a good deal. The quotations given below will indicate how the order differs. The sequence is important for the reason that some of our authorities expressly state that when calamities befall or deterioration sets in each of the seven elements, those that befall each preceding one are more serious for the State than those of each succeeding one (Kauṭilya VIII. 1, Manu IX. 295). For *janapada* sometimes the word *jana* or *rāṣṭra* is used, for 'daṇḍa' the word 'bala' and the word 'pura' for 'durga'. The Āśramavāsiparva (5.8) speaks of eight angas of *rājya*. According to Sumantu quoted by the Sarasvatīvilāsa (p. 46) *daṇḍa* means "punishment bodily or monetary" and 'army' is included under 'kośa'.
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Sumantu says that th esvāmin has to be preserved by himself, the ministers by showing them proper respect, the people by keeping them contented, the fortified capital by abundance of wealth and grain, the kośa by proper expenditure, daṇḍa by following one's dharma, friends by truthfulness. The authorities are agreed that the ruler is the most important or the first of the seven. Kauṭilya puts the matter very forcibly and realistically when he states that the briefest exposition of the elements of *rājya* is to say that the king is the State²¹. This is really not the same doctrine as that emphasized by Louis XIV of France when he said '*L'Etat c'est moi*'. Kauṭilya makes his position clear (in VIII. 1) by saying that it is the king who appoints ministers and servants and superintendents, who takes measures of relief against calamities befalling the other prakṛtis and measures of prosperity, that it is he who appoints other ministers when those already appointed are under calamities, that if the ruler is prosperous he transmits prosperity to his prakṛtis, that the prakṛtis bear that character which the king has and that hence the ruler occupies the position of a permanent, never-exhausted centre of power. The Śukranītisāra II.4 remarks that if the king begins to act at his sweet will, it leads to calamities, to loss of ministers and of the kingdom. The Śukranītisāra (I.
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61-62) compares the seven aṅgās of rājya to the organs of the body viz., the king is the head, the ministers are the eyes, ally the ear, treasury the mouth, the army the mind, capital and rāṣṭra are hands and feet. It is emphasized by Kānı. (IV.1-2) that each of the seven elements is complementary to the others, that if the state is defective even in one out of the seven elements it does not pull well. the Śāntiparva it is stated that it is not possible to say categorically that any one of the seven excels the others in merit, but that at different times a different element assumes importance over others, since that particular element is in the particular circumstances capable of accomplishing the purpose in hand. This shows that Manu and the Mahābhārata held that there was an organic unity in the several elements of rājya. All must work harmoniously towards one ideal or end. Manu (IX. 296-297) says this by means of a simile 'Just as among the three staves tied together (by a rope of cow's hair) used by a *sannyāsin* no particular staff is superior (to the others), so among the seven elements of the state no particular one can be said to excel the others, since each of them has a particular excellence of its own; a particular element is pre-eminent in some particular matter and therefore the superiority of one to the others when expressed (as e. g. in Manu IX.
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295) is to be confined to that matter alone.' Manu here emphasizes the harmonious working or unity of the seven elements though they are diverse in their individual characters. The analysis of the elements and nature of the State led ancient Indian writers to hold that a mere conglomeration of people did not by itself constitute a State, but that for a State there must be people who live within certain definite geographical limits (rāṣṭra), they must be bound by the bond to render allegiance to a ruler (svāmī), have a certain system of government (amātya), must have a regulated economic system, a force for defence and international relationships. That is, the most essential elements of a state are (1) a sovereign, (2) a system of government, (3) a definite territory and (4) a population of some size. These four were known even to the most ancient sūtras. Vide Gaut. XI. 1 (rājā), Āp. II. 6. 25. 10 (amātya), Āp. II. 10. 25. 11, II. 10. 26. 4 (viṣaya, nagara, grāma), Gaut XI. 5-8 (prajā).