Chandragupta Maurya and His Times c8.s3.t1.23

c8.s3.t1.23

Intelligence Department. Kauṭilya further prescribes [I. 11] that the king, acting with his ministers, will make appointments to the Intelligence Department of administration. The appointing authority for this rather difficult Department is specified as *Amātyavarga* of proved qualifications (*upādhibhiśśuddha*). This should mean the group of Ministers including the Prime Minister or *Mantrī*, the Purohita, and the king's Advisors aforesaid. For it is laid down [I. 10] that those *Amātyas* who were found competent by all possible tests were appointed as Mantrīs (*Sarvopadhāśuddhān Mantriṇaḥ kuryāt*).