Ashta Pradhan

The Ashta Pradhan (also spelled Ashtapradhan and Asta Pradhad) was a council of eight men that helped with the administration of the Maratha empire. The council was formed in 1674 by founding emperor Chhatrapati Shivaji.

The name means "Important eight", from the Sanskrit "Ashta", "eight" and "pradhan", "important". The body discharged the functions of a council of ministers; this is regarded as one of the instances of ministerial delegation in India. The council is credited with having implemented good governance practices in the Maratha heartland, as well as for the success of Shivaji's military exploits against the Mughal empire.

Constitution

The coronation of Shivaji as an independent sovereign was held in 1674, at the fort of Raigad in present-day Indian state of Maharashtra. On that occasion, Shivaji formalized the institution of a council of eight ministers to guide the administration of his nascent state. This council came to be known as the "Ashta pradhan" or "eight ministers." Each of the ministers had charge of an administrative department; thus, the council heralded the birth of a bureaucracy.

The formalization of an administrative mechanism was of a piece with other measures, indicative of the formalization of a sovereign state, which were implemented on the occasion of Shivaji's coronation: coinage bearing Shivaji's insignia (the copper "Shivrai" and the gold "hon") were issued, and a new era, the "Rajyabhishek era," was proclaimed on the occasion.

Composition

The Ashta Pradhan was designed to encompass all the administrative functions of the state, with each minister being given charge of one department of the administration. Ministerial designations were drawn from the Sanskrit language; the eight ministries were:
*"Peshwa" (also known as "Panta Pradhan"): Chief minister; held the state seal and was in charge of general administration.
*"Senapati": Commander-in-chief of the army;
*"Nyayadhisha": Minister of justice and legal issues;
*"Amatya" (also known as "Mujumdar"): Finance;
*"Pant Sachiv": General Secretary;
*"Sumanta": Foreign affairs
*"Mantri": Historical archives, intelligence and police reports
*"Dandâdhyaksha" (Panditrao): Religious matters.

Continued conflict with the Mughal empire meant that military matters remained surpassingly important to the affairs of the nascent state. Hence, except for the priestly "Panditrao" and the judicial "Nyayadisha", the other pradhans held military commands, and their deputies performed their civil duties. In a later era, these deputies and their staff of secretaries constituted the core of the Peshwa's bureaucracy.

After Shivaji

Shivaji's son Sambhaji (ruled 1680–89) undermined the importance of the council. Over time, council positions became hereditary, ceremonial positions at court with nominal powers, if any. Beginning 1714 AD, a prime minister appointed by Shivaji's grandson Shahu gradually arrogated power. Within a short period, "de facto" control of the Maratha state passed to his family. This family of hereditary prime ministers retained the title of "Peshwa." However, the "Ashta pradhan" council was never revived to fill the functions it discharged for the last decade of Shivaji's reign.

Miscellany

* The Ashta Pradhan is somewhat similar to the court arrangements of other famous kings such as the Navaratnas of the courts of both Vikramaditya and Akbar, as also of the Astadiggajas of Krishna Deva Raya's court.
* The Ashta Pradhan can be construed as an initiative to develop a second line of leadership in the state akin to the Khalsa by Guru Gobind Singh. Guru Gobind Singh and Shivaji were fighting against the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

References

* [http://cache.britannica.com/eb/article-9009847 Ashta Pradhan. (2006).] In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved June 18, 2006, from Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service: http://cache.britannica.com/eb/article-9009847