Jaina Political Thought

Author(s): G C Pandey
Publisher: Prakrit Bharti Academy

Page 87

from overt behaviour. The functioning and capability of an official, thus, has to be inferred from a sampling of his actions. So have the potentialities of princes to be discovered as also the future of men from the vicissitudes of their character.
The value of testimony depends on the character of the informant. The reliable informant is one who reports exactly and is not given to
These ways of knowledge emphasize the need for the exercise of crítical circumspection and of estimating character, potentiality and the future from present behaviour and tendences. This is important because man common practice to provide against scarcity. The stores should be annually replaced and spent. In particular Kodrava and salt should be stored.
Janapada the next constituent, is territory settled with the people. Its virtue lies in its natural resources, just adequate population, independence of rain, salubrious climate for men and animals, and in its abundance of guilds and crafts. The Janapada and the sovereign should be mutually loyal. The means of irrigation must remove dependence on rain. About the people Somadeva would like to keep Brahmanas and Ksattriyas in only moderate numbers and avoid Mlechas altogether. Guilds and Sudras he would like to encourage. About Sudraskautalya had felt the same.It seems that the royal demesnein particular required a supply of reliable labourers, which could come only from the Sudras. It also shows that the Sudras formed the bulk of the hired labouring population both on the farms and in the crafts. The taxes on the people must not be increased. Nor should military marches upset the farmers. If any concession has been given before, it must not be revoked. Wherever the people have been impoverished, the ruler must help them. No wealth should be appropriated by the ruler except when duly given to him. Some remission in taxes is
Icome by the people. The excellence and permenent validity of these principles hardly needs to be emphasized.
There has been a lot of discussion in recent years about land-grants to officials and feudatories. It is worth noting that Somadeva does not mention any such grants. He recommends only grants to Brahmanas and temples.
Durgai or forts signify barriers for the enemy and places of safety for the people of the country. They may be natural or artificial. They should be inaccessible from outside, spacious within, with well-stocked stores and brave defenders. The way to capture a fort is to corrupt the defenders, invest it for a long time or assault it with specially trained commandoes.
Kosa or treasury should be full of gold and silver and current coins. It should be capable of helping in any emergency. It has to be built up by
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