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POLITICAL HISTORY OF N. INDIA FROM JAIN SOURCES
Fitness should be the only criterion for office. These ministers while holding their offices in the secretariat were also in charge of the business of the provinces and sometimes were called the ministers of these provinces. They also toured to inspect the affairs of the State. - Aksapaļalika or Mahākşapatalika : Besides the ministers who held important portfolios in the centre, there was chief superintendent of Srikarana who was called akşapatalika or mahaksa patalika.He may be taken as equivalent to chief registrar, or inspector-general of records, in charge of the Record Office. He did all the business of seal relating to the drawing up of documents (paţtaka).
Duta: The foreign affairs of the State were under a minister who was called data. He examined all the terms of treaties and negotiated for peace and alliance. He had under him reporters and informers who enabled him to keep in touch with developments in foreign countries. In emergency he himself went to negotiate the matter of peace and war. In the Tilakamañjari he is called as pradhanaduta.5
Other Officers : Kośadhipa or kośadhyaksa was also an important functionary. He maintained the account of income and expenditure in the royal treasury. A Jain inscription refers to mahasahaniya as an officer. Perhaps, he was the great master of the stable.? Rajavaidya or the royal physician looked after the health of the king and the members of his family. The officer in charge of the jewels was known as pradhanaratnā. dhyaksa.9 There was an officer in charge of sealing the letters of the king's command. The orders were sealed with lead of red colour. 10
There must have been, however, many more departments but the Jain sources of our period do not throw any light on them, VI. Provincial Administration:
For administrative convenience, big kingdoms or empires were divided into a number of provinces which were given different names in different
1 Ibid., p. 60: 7 for a fait
SGM., XVIII, p. 112, No. 108. 3 Tila kamañjari, p. 103: geferat 797fS#: Tart Tarifgara asta
Nitivā., pp. 170-171: 377149157g ca hati • P. 82. • SJGM., I, p. 7. ? Jain Lekha-sangraha, I, p. 226, No. 875. 8 PC., p. 55: O T : TIGAT: 1 , Tilakamañjari, p. 63. 10 Ibid., p. 70.
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