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AN EARLY HISTORY OF ORISSA
KĀRAŅAKAS—They appear to be mentioned in the Yerragudi copy of the Minor Rock Edict and probably refer to judicial officers, teachers or scribe and may be equivalent to Kārņikas viz. Officers-in-charge of Documents or Accounts. In the Mahābhārata,” Kārņika has, according to the commentary, the sense of teacher. In the text itself, the officer in question laul to iinpart instructions to the Kumāras and had cuties relating to Dharmit or Law and Justice.
In this way, some sort of general scheme is indicated in the Edicts of Asoka as regards the Provincial administration. The head of the administration---the highest provincial officer, was the Rajjuka, while a smaller jurisdiction was placed under the charge of the Prādeśika or the Divisional Commissioner. There were, also, the Heads of Departments called Mukhas ( PE VII) and also known by the general title of Mahāmātras, while the departments assigned to them were indicated by their names being prefixed to that title (Cf. Dharm:l-Mahāmātras, Anta-Mahāmātras, Stri-adhyaksha-Mahāmātras and so on). The Mahāmātras in charge of cities were called Mahāmātranāgaraka or Mahāmātra-nagara-syarahāruka. Wherever the name Mahāmātra is used by itself without any prefix or suffix, it denotes a Minister (SKE II and MRE I). This sense is also borne out in a passage in RE VI, where the Emperor is said to have entrusted matters of urgency to the Mahāmātras for discussion by the Parishat or the Council of Ministers, of which the Mabānātras were members.
Thus, there was organised a regular Civil Service assisting the Kumāras and also the Provincial Chiefs. The
1. IAQ, 1935, p. 586. 2. II, 6, 34. Qtd, PIIAI, p. 321.
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