Theory of Government in Ancient India (Post-Vedic) c10.20

c10.20

The king must appoint a number of chief officials—Ambassador, Minister, Master of the Kitchen, Royal Physician, Keeper of Royal Elephants, Keepers of Stables, Masters of the Castles and Fortresses. The Agni Purāṇa jumbles the state and household officers together. It prescribes the usual intellectual and moral qualifications for them all. It is specially mentioned that no royal officer should be an atheist. For local government, the Purāṇa adopts the old scheme of Manu and Kauṭalya. The village officer is designated Grāṇâdhipati; the superintendent of ten villages is known as Daśagrâmâdhipati, of 100 villages as Śatagrâmâdhipati and the yet higher officer as Viśweśwara. They must be paid according to the great and eternal science of Brahma. In the Purāṇas, as in the Smṛtis, penances are prescribed for all sorts of sins and crimes. See Agni Purāṇa, Ch. CCXXI. The killer of a cow or a Brāhmaṇa should quit life the same day or commit himself to the flames for the destruction of his sins. (CLXXIII, 17.)