Indian Antiquary Vol 59

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 251

NOVEMBER, 1930 ]
BOOK.NOTICES
227
where they are now proserved. These include three | the inherent and inherited capacity of modern Hindu friezes and a number of other slabs of varying size, politicians to repeat the triumphs of Asoka and his on which are finely sculptured scenes illustrative of ministers. The chief defect of such literary excur. some of the well-known Játaka stories and sions lies in the readiness of the writer to assume incidents in the life and teaching of the Buddha. that such documents as the arthaddatra convoyan
A detailed and careful description has been given accurate impression of the state of India at the time of each panel and slab, noting divergencies from the they were composed, and that the working of usual representation of the subject. As most of the institutions can be gathered from the intentions of themes have been presented in the sculptures at their authors. No such far reaching Assumption can Amaravati, the author adds a useful tabular state. be found to be justified by the teachings of experience. ment, comparing the treatment of the several Writers such as the author of the present work Bubjects at the two sites. The correspondence in have in mind the reasonable deductions that can be certain cases, as well as the similarity of the charac. drawn from any recorded code of penal legislation, ters engraved on the caitya elab (P1. X) with some
i.e., that the offences for which punishments are inscriptions at Amaravati assignable to the third
provided occur sufficiently frequently to require the century A.D., lead Mr. Ramachandran to suggest provision of specific penalties. On the other hand, that the Goli stúpa probably dates from the same however, it is quite impossible to assume that the period, no definite indication of its date having i punishments laid down are regularly, or even been otherwise discovered.
usually, inflicted ; and, a fortiori, a code of principles This appears to be the first of a new series of bul. for civil and criminal administration, however letins under preparation by the museum authorities; admirable ite precepte, affords little indication of the and we think Mr. Ramachandran is to be congra. conduct of officials charged with the duty of enfore. tulated on the work; it has been carefully written ing them; and it is on this latter factor that the and suitably arranged, and the plates have been state of the country and the happiness of its people creditably reproduced. A sketch map would have obviously depends. From this point of view, Mr. been welcome showing the position of the sites Dikshitar is not an infallible guide when, as on p. 48 referred to as Goli and Mallevaram aro not markod et seq., he attempts to contrast the working of weston the maps ordinarily available. We shall look ern institutions with the former social experiences forward to the appearance of the other works on of Hindu organization. The attempt to prove (p. 76 which, we understand, the author is at present et seq.) that in ancient days Hindu monarchs had engaged.
only the good of their subjects at heart and woro C. E. A. W. o. entirely free from military ambition is not, in the
light of recorded history, entirely convincing. Fur. HINDU ADMINISTRATIVE INSTITUTIONS, by V. R.
ther, the inspiring list of popular forms of embezalo. RAMACHANDRA DIKSHITAR, M.A., with an Intro
ment (pp. 208, 209) taken from Kaušalys, throns an duction by DR. S. KRISHNASWAMI AIYANGAR,
interesting light on the work of the public services University of Madras, 1929.
in the much vaunted early Hindu administration. As stated by the learned writer of the Introduc.
These forty entries appear to embody the results of tion, this work attempts to present a picture of the
much painful experience. The sphere of the Puro. udministrative institutions of the Hindus based
hita comes in for much favourable notice. As the primarily on the political portions of the dharmaddstra
Mahdbhdrata puts it : a king without purohita is like and arthaddatra trestises. The author has devoted
an elephant without & mahdvat. Here we are clearly praiseworthy industry to the undertaking. The result
dealing with a point of view that draws much om. is & volume of some 400 pages, dealing exhaustively
phasis from the fact that it emanates from a Brâh. with early Hindu idene governing the general princi
man. A comparison of the position of the purohita ples of administration, a description of the machinery
among the ministers to the Archbishop of Canter. and ite component parte, including all departments
bury does not strike us as particularly apt; but it is from the Central Government down to the village
no doubt true that a Kshattriya monarch gained staff. As would be expected, the writer draws liber
much from the intelligent direction of his priestly ally on the Arthatastra of Keutalya for his materials.
adviser. This is a field that has already attracted many
On p. 244 the writer refers to a controversy with workers. The reign of Chandragupta furnishes &
the late Mr. S. M. Edwardes regarding the methode convenient starting point for speculation on the
of dealing with evil-doers in Mughal and Hindu method of Government prevailing at the headquar.
times, and the use of torture in the discovery of tory of the state and in the villages in early Hindu crime. Here again Mr. Dikshitar's standard for times. A special impetus has been given to such Mauryan administration is the written record of studies by the present political status of India. principles. There is little doubt that Mr. Edwardee
Writers such as Mr. Dikshitar seem to set before scepticism, which is shared by others, has more themselves two objectives, which aro pursued by foundation thua Mr. Dikshitar's somewhat facilo methods that are not consistently listorical. The deductions from the code of Kautalya. Here we excellonce of early Hindu institutions is insisted on, must bring this brief notice to an end. It must and from this starting point inforences are drawn of not be sumed, from the criticisms above, that this