Political Concepts in Ancient India /132

112
 
Political Concepts in Ancient India
 
necessarily signify the People or Subjects mean-

ing thereby their representatives-the chiefs

of the Paura and Janapada".¹
 
Hindu Polity, p. 288.
(9) The term continues to be in vogue till a

much later time. In the Borgaon C.P. Grant

of king Ratnapāla of Kāmarūpa (11th century

A.D.) it is observed that when Sri Tyagasimha,

the twenty-first king of the family of Salastam-

bha expired without an heir, his prakṛtis (prakṛt-

ayaḥ) chose Brahmapala of the family of Naraka

to be the king. P. C. Chaudhury takes the

term prakṛtayaḥ in the sense of 'important offi-

cials'. History of Civilization of Assam, p. 227. M. M. Sharma translates the term as

'subjects', and suggests that it is obvious that

the will of the subjects must have been translated

into action by the 'top officials' or the 'council of

ministers' as 'their representatives'.³
 
Inscriptions of Ancient Assam, Introduction, p. XX. 1., (MS seen through courtesy).
(10) Like Amara calling the seven elements of

State Prakrṛti, Kautilya applies the term to the
ṭilya applies the term to the
seven mutually beneficial elements of the State,

viz. Svāmī (the King), Amaātya (Ministers),

Janapada (the territory along with the people),

Durga (the fort), Kośa (the exchequer), Daṇḍa
(the military power or force) anda
Mitra (the military power or forceallies) and Mitra (allies).
.
Cf. svamyamaāmyamātyajanapadadurgakośa-daṇḍamitrā-
n
ṇi prakrṛtayaḥ (AS' VI. 1).
 

 
PRAKRṚTIKOPA--Antagonism against the King

on the part of the Prakṛtis. Here, the term

Prakṛti presumably refers to the ministers (Amā-
1. Hindu Polity, p. 288.
 
2. History of Civilization of Assam, p. 227.
 
3. Inscriptions of Ancient Assam, Introduction, p. XX. 1.,
(MS seen through courtesy).
 
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