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ADMINISTRATION
Mahadevi (queen) of Lakshmanraja Ii, expressly states that it had been made by her with the consent of the king.1 Similarly, the kumbhi plates state clearly that the village Chora-layi was granted by the queen-mother Gosaladevi with the consent of her son, the reigning
king Vijayasimha2 Still, sone queens must have exercised a considerable political and religious influence. Nehala, the queen must have exercised a considerable political and religious influence, Nohala the queen of Yuvarajadeva I, greatly influenced the religious
policy of her husband and invited to the Chedi county several ascetics of the Mattamyura
clan from her home country. She herself built a lofty temple of siva under the name of Nohalesvara which she endowed with the gift of several villages.3 The dowager queen
Alhanadevi also caused a temple of Siva, a monastery and a lecture hall ti be constructred
at Bhear-Ghat and herself granted two villages for their maintenance 4 Both these gifts
must have been made with the tacit approval of the ruling king. Gosaladevi also must have exercised a considerable influence during the reign of her Vijayasimha, She is mentoined prominetly with her son and grandson in the Bhera-Ghat temple inscription.5
The king was assisted by counsellors (mantins), minisiters (amatyas) and heads of departments (adhyashas.) The Sukeranitisara emphasises the importnace of the Crown
prince and the Council of Ministers by saying that they are the arms, eyes and ears of the king.6 The Nitivakyamrita of Somadeva, who flourished in the 10th century A.C., recommends the appointment of three, five or seven counsellors.7 we have, however no definte information about the existence of a mantri-parishad either in the earlier or in the later age. The khjairha and Jabalpur Plates 8 Mention chief counsellors (Mantri-mukyas),
but whether they formed a mantri-parishad, it is difficult to say. Earlier records mention very few ministers and high state functionaries Later records, no doubt enumerate a
number of them, but they do not state whether any of them were regularly cousnlted by the reigning king in the importnat affairs of the state. Agagin divergent views were
held by the authors of the smritis and the Arthasastras about the nuber of ministers.
According to Manu, the king should have seven or eight ministers9 Sukra mentions a
council of eight or ten ministers.10 Somadeva tells us that the departments entrusted
to the ministers (amatyas) were those of revenue, expendiure, protectuon of the king's person and the army.11 If there was a council of eight ministers in the age of the Later Kalachiuris, it may have consisted of the following who are generally mentoined in their records :_Mahamantrin, Mahamatya, Mahjasandhivigrahika, Mahadamadhikaranika (or)
Mahpurohita as stated in some records), mahakshapatlika Mahapratihara, Mahasamanta
and Mahapramtri. The ministers wielded a consoderable power. In cases od emergency thet carried on the administration of the state and placed their nominee from among the princes on the roual throne12 The Jabalpur and Khairha plates state, for
instance, that the Cheif COunsellors placed Kokalla II on the throne of his father Yuvarajadeva II evidnetly in an emergency caused probably by the latter's sudeen d
eath,13
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1No, 42, 1.29.
2See p. 650.
3No. 45, 1. 18.
4No, 60, 11. 23-4.
5No. 69, 1. i.
6SNS., adhayaya II, v. 12
7NVA., S, 71
8No. 56, v. 8; No. 57, v. 8.
9MSM., adhyaya II, VV. 69 ff.
10NVA., XVIII, 6.
See e.g. No. 48, ii. 34-36; No. 56. 11. 25-26
11No. 56, v.8;No. 57, v.8
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