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Book No. – 005 (Indian Polity)
Book Name – Indian Government and Politics (Bidyut Chakrabarty)
What’s Inside the Chapter? (After Subscription)
1. GENESIS OF ADMINISTRATION IN INDIA
2. ASPECTS OF THE MUGHAL ADMINISTRATION
3. LEGACIES OF THE BRITISH RULE
4. DEVELOPMENTS DURING THE RULE OF THE COMPANY
5. DEVELOPMENTS IN INDIAN ADMINISTRATION SINCE 1857
5.1. The 1935 Government of India Act
5.2. All India Civil Services and Public Administration
6. CONCLUDING OBSERVATIONS
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The Evolution of Indian Administration
Chapter – 10
India is distinguished among developing countries for having a well-developed system of administration and governance, comparable to some developed Western countries.
At Independence in 1947, the horrors of partition were mitigated due to an efficient administrative system skilled in law and order functions.
This efficiency was a rare positive contribution of the British colonial rule, despite its primary aim being colonial control and economic exploitation.
The administrative structures and norms developed under British rule became the foundation of modern Indian administration.
The chapter traces the evolutionary perspective of Indian administration from ancient times, as articulated by Kautilya.
Features from Mughal administration are considered in understanding the historical development of Indian governance.
British efforts are analyzed in detail for their role in shaping various aspects of the administrative system in India.
GENESIS OF ADMINISTRATION IN INDIA
The Arthashastra of Kautilya provides an authentic narration of the administrative system in ancient times, correlated with the Mauryan empire.
While sometimes reflective of Kautilya’s perspectives, it is considered a fair articulation of the state and administration in ancient India.
Governance in ancient times was a monarchy, with the king (Swami) as the epitome of the state and administration.
The state comprised seven prakritis (organs): Swami (king), Amatya (minister), Janapada (territory/settlements), Durga (fortified capital), Kosha (treasury), Danda (army), and Mitra (ally/friend).
These seven organs illustrate the inseparability of state and administration, fostering the existence of the state.
The amatyas were the precursors of modern-day ministers, around whom the administrative machinery revolved.
Below the amatyas existed a structured hierarchy of officers managing various state activities.
Some nomenclature from the Mauryan empire persists in modern administration, e.g., Samahartr (in charge of budget and accounts) now used in municipal revenue assessment.
Despite modifications over millennia due to different rulers, remnants of the Mauryan administrative system still influence the modern administrative structures and processes in India.