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POLITICAL HISTORY OF N. INDIA FROM JAIN SOURCES
had to select such juries who never indulged in greed and favouritism.1 Thus, Somadeva informs us that the king administered justice in consultation with juries. The king administered justice according to the nature of an offence. He was like a measure-stick which showed heavy and light weights accordingly.2
The above account regarding the king corroborates our theory that the king was the pivot around which rotated all the activities of the kingdom. IV. Council of Ministers (Mantriparisad):
The Nitivahyamyta of Somadeva along with certain Jain literary works and epigraphical data sheds some light on the nature and procedure of the council of ministers in our period. The Tilakaman jari had a technical term for the council as mantrimandala. Somadeva says that the king is bound to follow the dictates of the council, otherwise in the eye of the constitutional law he would cease to be the king. Thus we see Mülaraja Caulukya consulted his ministers at the time of war with the Cahamäna Vigraharaja and Barapa. Although the rulers of our period were not assisted by any popular assembly or constitutional ministers in the administration of the kingdom, they, however, had their ministers appointed by them who held their offices till the pleasure of the king. All the authorities on law have laid a great stress on the importance of mantripariṣad. Somadeva says that without the council the king becomes an autocrat; he plans for ruin due to his hasty actions. With the help of the council of ministers, the king can achieve all the wishful objects."
The Composition of the Council:
During our period we find frequent mentions of prime ministers and ministers of the king in the Jain literature and contemporary inscriptions. They have been called mahamatyas, sacivas, rajavṛddhas, buddhi-sacivas,
1 Ibid., p. 296:
2 Ibid., p. 295: गुणदोपयोस्तुलादण्डसमो राजा स्वगुणदोषाभ्यां Published in the Kävyamala 85 (N.S. Press), p. 16. • Nitivd, p. 114 मंत्रपूर्वः सर्वोऽप्यारम्भः क्षितिपतीनाम् । P. 124 : स खलु नो राजा यो मंत्रिणोऽतिक्रम्य वर्तेत । • SJGM. 1, p. 16 सचित्रैः सह विमृनन्थे ।
Nitiva., p. 149:
स्वतन्त्रः ससारिवत् विनाशयति ।
लोभपक्षपाताभ्यामयथार्थवादिनः सभ्याः सभापतेः सद्यो मानार्थहानिं लभेरन् ।
गौरवावे |
।
7 Ibid, p. 130 बहुसहाये राशि प्रसीदन्ति सर्व एव मनोरथाः ।
।
8 PC., p. 78 : राजवृद्धानामारोचमान: ।
• Tilakamanjari, p. 33.
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