Thread by @HindutvaItihas

1.
#Thread on the Council of Ministers of Chhatrapatī Śivājī Mahārāj - The Aṣṭapradhāna Maṇḍaḻa

The Aṣṭapradhāna Maṇḍaḻa was the 'Cabinet of Eight Ministers' of Hindavī Swarājya

#Hindutva #AdministrativeHistory #chhatrapatishivajimaharaj

2.
Chhatrapatī Śivājī Mahārāj sought to modernise & formalise the governance of the Hindavī Swarājya.

Feudalism was rampant, which was reined in with the wise *separation of the revenue-collection, & military roles* of the administration.

#Feudalism

3.
The Aṣṭapradhāna Maṇḍaḻa was formalised at the time of coronation, although, there exist instances where Chhatrapatī Śivājī used to consult several such ministers on earlier important occasions as well.

#Coronation

4.
The Eight Posts & the appointees were:-

Mukhya Pradhān - Moropaṇt Piṅgḻe
Āmātya - Nāro & Rāmcaṇdra Nīḻakaṇṭha
Paṇḍit - Raghunāthrāo Paṇḍit
Senāpatī - Hambirrāo Mohite
Maṇtrī - Dattājī Tryaṃbak
Sumaṇt - Rāmcaṇdra Tryaṃbak
Sachiv - Aṇṇājī Datto ...

5.
...
Nyāyādhīś - Nirajī Rāvajī

The Persian names in vogue earlier, were replaced with Sanskrit names while formalising the Council of Ministers as well.

#LanguageDecolonisation #Decolonisation #Language

6.
Chhatrapatī Śivājī did not allow the offices of the Aṣṭapradhāna Maṇḍaḻ be either hereditary, or even intra-familial!

Contrast this with the current Indian political scenario.

#GoodGovernance

7.
Chhatrapatī Śivājī's Aṣṭapradhāna Maṇḍaḻ was modelled very close to the Council of Ministers explained in Hindu Śāstras on Political Science.

#HinduScriptures #HinduShastras

8.
A 8-Minister-Council is described in Śukra Nītī, Adhyāya 2 Śloka 72.

The only change incorporated by Chhatrapatī Śivājī was - replacing the position of Pratinidhi (Viceroy), by Senāpatī (Commander-in-Chief)

[Note: Prāḍvivāka = Nyāyādhīś 👇]

9.
The duties of each of the Ministers in Aṣṭapradhāna Maṇḍaḻ were stipulated through a memorandum by Chhatrapatī Śivājī in the first year after coronation. 👇

The memorandum was published by Raobahadur Kashinath Narayan Sane.

10.
The constitution of the Aṣṭapradhāna Maṇḍaḻ along the lines of Hindu Śāstras, coupled with new measures to go beyond feudal system, laid the solid foundation of the Hindavī Swarājya.

#Hindutva #AdministrativeHistory #GoodGovernance

@rattibha