Theory of Government in Ancient India (Post-Vedic) c11.s2.t1.25

c11.s2.t1.25

The difficult and complicated duties attached to the office of the king demand constant counsel with ministers. Great, indeed, has always been the power of ministers. Witness, for instance, Kauṭalya who installed Chandragupta in place of the rightful ruler of Magadha. A king must exercise the utmost discretion in the selection of his councillors. They might be Brâhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas or Vaiśyas, but they must not be foreigners. Love of one’s own country is the highest and most tenacious of all prejudices. The ministers must be endowed with real character, for lack of principles vitiates even all personal merits and qualities. They must also be well-born, since an ill-bred person is proof against all shame and is capable of any misdeed. Ministers, again, must be free from all carnal passions. To possess a sensual minister is like riding a mischievous elephant. Ministers must be reliable and courageous. What is the use of one who can’t stand by you in adversity? Besides moral qualifications, ministers must be endowed with practical knowledge. They must grasp clearly and firmly what is to the interest of the state. All their best wishes would come to nothing unless they were joined to a real knowledge of affairs. They must have a penetrating insight not only into civil but also into military problems.