Book Title: Prolegomena to Prakritica et Jainica
Author(s): Satyaranjan Banerjee
Publisher: Asiatic Society

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Page 202
________________ BANERJEE : THOUGHTS IN HEMACANDRA 185 perhaps, smaller than Deśas and the head of a village was called Grāmaņi (Ku. I. 181). The mountainous areas and forests were called Khalatikas (Ku. III. 84). In the Kumārapālacarita, the names of some official posts are found, but their exact significance is not generally mentioned. These names are Mahāpradhāna (Ku. II. 56), Purohita (III. 80), Māhāmātya (Ku. VI. 26), Māndalika (Ku. VI. 26), Pratihāra (Ku. I. 116), Comūpa (VIII. 90), Ayudhāgārika (XVII. 44). From the secondary sources we come to know that these officers used to perform their duties in the territory. For example, in the Kumārapālacarita, it is stated that Jambaka and Jehula were ministers of equal status. For administrative purposes spies were employed in the country. Apart from dyūta, the other term Nagaraghātas were also used (Ku. IX. 48). In order to collect secret news for the king the Nagaraghātas used to dress like a sage and collected information from the people of the road. Besides the spies, the king himself used to go out secretly to collect public opinion about his administration. It is said in the text (XIII. 5) that Jayasimha used to go out for this purpose. The condition of the country depended on the good administration of the king. The aim and ideal of a good king was to establish the Rāmarājya. The Chaulukya king had that ideal in his mind (VII. 4). In the Kumārapālacarita (VIII. 28) it is stated that people were living calmly and happily. The law and order of the country was maintained and there were no thieves in his kingdom. (VII. 28.). This truthful character of the then Indians was also recorded by the Mohammedan conquerors of India. Idrisi in his Geography (written in the 11th century) summed up the foreign opinions in the following manner : "The Indians are naturally inclined to justice, and never depart from it in their actions. Their good faith, honesty, and fidelity to their engagements are well-known,

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