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LIFE IN ANCIENT INDIA
helpful in attaining the objective of defeating the enemy by diplomatic machination. Their feigned dismissal was made and they were allowed to join the services of the opponent. We hear of the minister of Sālivähana of Paitthāna, who joined the king Nahavahana as a minister and after exhausting his whole treasury informed his master, who invaded the enemy and captured his kingdom.
Besides, there were other officers such as chieftains (ganandyaga), head police officers (dandandyaga), knights (talavara),11 heads of families kodumbiya), the head of a mercantile guild (setth) generals (senāvar) and frontier guards (sandhızāla), who formed an assembly of king's officers,
10 Ava cū , II, pp 200 f; cf. the minister Vassakāra in Buddhist literature by whose tactful machination the unity of the Vajian confederacy was broken (Com on the Digha , H,
pp. 522 f)
They were invested with a palfa given by the king , they possessed the same status as th king, the only difference was that they were without chowries,
They are invested with a golden paffa inscribed with the image of god 1 Ray Si., Ti.p 313; 148, P 285 ; Nisi.ci., 9, P 506, Brh. Bha. V1 , 3 3767, Kalpa.
