Chandragupta Maurya and His Times c8.21

c8.21

**Procedure of Business in Council.** The procedure of the king's business in the Council is also indicated by Kauṭilya. As has been already stated, the king had to transact some classes of administrative business with his whole Council of Ministers in attendance. For instance, the king was not to give interviews to the ambassadors from foreign kings without being attended by his Council of Ministers. Generally, he was to transact all administrative business along with the Ministers in attendance (*Āsannaissaha kāryāṇi paśyeta*). In the case of Ministers who were not present, he sought their advice by despatch of letters (*anāsannaissaha patrasampreshaṇena mantrayeta*). In the case of any urgent business cropping up, the king summoned to his presence both his Advisors (*Mantriṇo*) and his Council of Ministers (*Mantri-parishadaṁ*) to whom he would explain it (*brūyāt*). He would generally act on the opinion of the majority in that joint meeting of his Counsellors and Ministers (*tatra yadbhūyishṭhāḥ brūyustat kuryāt*), or whatever was considered to be contributory to success (*kāryasiddhikaram*).