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390 POLITICAL HISTORY OF ANCIENT INDIA
an important element of the governmental machinery. He gives us the important information that even viceregal princes were assisted by Parishads. The Mālavikāgnimitram refers in clear terms to the dealings of Prince Agnimitra, the Viceroy of Vidiśa (in Eastern Mālwa), with his Parishad:
"Deva evam Amatya-parishado vijñāpayāmi": "Mantri-prishado' pyetad-eva darsanam Dvidha vibhaktam śriyam-udvahantau dhuram rathāśvāviva samgrahituḥ tau sthasyatas-te nripater nidese paraspar-avagraha-nirvikārau3
2
:
Raja tena hi Mantri-parishadm bruhi senānye Virasenaya likhyatām evam kriyatām iti."*
It seems that the Amatya-parishad or Mantri-parishad was duly consulted whenever an important matter of foreign policy had to be decided upon.
1 Bühler (Ep. Ind. III. 137) points out that Aśoka's Kumāras were also each assisted by a body of Mahāmātras. These may have corresponded to the Kumārāmātyas of the Gupta period.
2 "King! I will announce this decision to the Council of Ministers."
3 "This is also the view of the (Council of Ministers). Those two kings, upbearing the fortune of their superior lord divided between them, as the horses upbear the yoke of the charioteer, will remain firm in their allegiance to thee, not being distracted by mutual attacks." Act V, verse 14,
4 "King Tell the Council then to send to the General Virasena written instructions to this effect." (Tawney, Malavikāgnimitra, pp. 89-90:)
