DUTIES OF MINISTERS AND OTHER HIGH OFFICIALS

The power to enforce the law should be vested in a minister who should see that the law is administered justly, treasury and other affairs of the State should be under the control of the king, peace and war under that of the Ambassador, and everything under the control of the


Assembly. It is the Ambassador alone who can make peace between enemies, or war between friends. He should so strive as to divide enemies united against his country.

Thus having learnt the designs of his enemy let a king - the President of the Assembly (as well as members of the Assembly, Ambassadors and others) - endeavour to guard himself against al danger from him.

In a thickly wooded country, where the soil is rich, let him build himself a town surrounded by a fortress of earth, or one protected by water, or one surrounded by a thick wood on all sides, or a fortress of armed men, or one surrounded by a mountain.

Let him build a wall round the city, because one brave, well-armed soldier placed inside it is a match for a hundred, and a hundred for thousands. It is therefore, extremely necessary to build a fort. Let the for t be well-supplied with arms and ammunition, with various kinds of grain and other food stuffs, with conveyances and beasts of burden, etc., with teachers and preachers, artisans, various kinds of machines, with grass and grain, etc., for animals, and with water, etc. In the centre of the town let him build for himself a Government house, well- protected from wind, etc., suited to all weathers, with



well provided parks and gardens round it, and well-supplied with water. It should be big for all the state functions.

Having done so far, that is, having completed his studies in the order of Brahmacharya and settled the affairs of the State, let him choose a consort of Kshatriya Class, born of a high family, endowed with beauty and other excellent qualities, dearest to his heart, blessed with charming manners, etc., and equal to him in knowledge, acquisitions, accomplishments and of like temperament. Let him take one wife and one only, and consider all other women as unapproachable, therefore let him not even look at another woman (with the eye of lust).

Let him retain a chaplain and a spiritual teacher to perform Homa and Yajnas suitable for different season sand other religious duties for him in the palace, and let him always devote himself to the business of the State. To devote himself day and night to the affairs of the State without allowing anything to go out of order is the highest duty of a king, aye, this is his worship, this is his communion." MANU 7: 65, 66,68, 70, 74-78.