AdministrAtion: Ancient,
medievAl And coloniAl
FO R E C - I I S T UD EN T S O F P. G .
D EP A R T ME N T O F P O L I TI CA L
SCIENCE
P A T N A U N I VE R S I T Y , P A T N A
S H EF A L I R O Y
H EA D, DE PA R TM EN T O F PO L I T I C A L
S C I E N C E, P . U . PA TN A
Introduction
Administration is derived from two terms ad and
ministrare, ad means to serve and ministrare to
manage
The control or the act of managing something, for
example a system, an organization or a business
The group of people or part of a company that
organizes and controls something
Groups cooperating to accomplish common goals
It is inclusive process of integrating human efforts so
that a desired result is obtained.
definition
Felix.A. Nigro says “Administration is the organism and
use of men and materials to accomplish a purpose.”
Luther Gullick says “Administration has to do with
getting things done; with the accomplishment of defined
objectives.”
D. Waldo says “ Administration is a type of cooperative
human effort that has a high degree of rationality.”
L.D.White says “The art of administration is the
direction, coordination and control of many persons to
achieve some purpose or objective.”
Ancient AdministrAtion
In India evolution of administration is from earliest
known monarchial system, ever since Vedic period.
It continues with Buddhist texts, Jain literature,
dharamshastras, Puranas,Ramayana Mahabharata,
Manu Smriti, Sukra Niti and Arthshastra.
A detailed account of governance and administrative
system was developed by Vishnu Gupta which laid
the foundation of Mauryan administration
Decentralization started from ancient India and a
principle of hierarchy had been given a practical
shape.
ArthshAstrA
It can be studied in two ways:
1. As a study of state and society and
2. As a work on state and its functions or governance
A.S. Altekar rightly says that Arthshastra is more a manual
for the administrator than a work on polity.
It is a combination of science of wealth and science of
government.
It talks about Swami, Amatya, Durg, Janapad, Kosh, Dand
and Mitra in his Saptang theory,
King, Ministers,Territory,Fortified Capital,The Army, The
Treasury and TheAllies
King
The king is regarded as the crucial element of
administration.
He has to play a positive and directive role in the
governance
He should be ideal, god fearing and must possess highest
qualities of intellect, energy and leadership.
He is the embodiment of power and state and King are
indispensable.
King is to serve the interests of his people like his
children.
King will have no personal likes and dislikes, he has to
work for the welfare of the people.
He is absolute but also servant of the people.
ministers & AmAtyA
Mantrin are ministers and amatyas are secretaries or
councillors
This is not very clear as both the terms have been used
interchangeably
He also talks about Prime- Minister who will actually
govern over the people.
He also refers to Raj Purohit, Priest who will always
advise the King in discharge of his duties
The Council of Ministers will function with secrecy and
will compose inner and outer body of departments.
The system was very complex and village was the basic
unit of administration.
PrinciPles of AdministrAtion
WelfAre stAte
Personnel Administration talks about
recruitment of each category of officers from King
to lower personnel.
Revenue Administration deals with
Dharma and Kama. There was a Revenue
Department with Samahartha as its head.
Village Administration- Gopa was in charge
of five to ten villages, above it was Sthanika,over
four Sthanikas was Nagaraka
mughAl AdministrAtion
The foundation of Mughal empire was laid at Panipat
Babar established the Mughal rule in India
Akbar adopted an aggressive policy and established a
vast empire.
Akbar is the pioneer in establishing an administrative set
up in India.
Emperor became pivot of the Administration and the
shadow of God.( Zill-i-Allah)
Mughal administration was highly centralized, no
delegation of authority, no ministers, each one was
accountable to the Emperor.
Ain-I Akhbari gave detailed account of Administration
dePArtments of mughAl AdministrAtion
Military &
Revenue House Accounts
Hold
Public
Religious Morals
Endowments
Civil &
Intelligence & The Criminal
Posts Artillery Law
ProvinciAl AdministrAtion
Mughal administration was divided into provinces
called Subahs
Each Subah consisted of several Sarkars
It was further divided into Mahals or Parganas
In each Mahal was number of Villages known as Dihs
Each of these were an administrative units
There was mansabdari system which can be regarded
as Bureaucratic system.
There were diwane aam and khas but coercion was
rampantly applied for aam public.
British Period AdministrAtion
The seeds of present Administration is rooted in
British Administration
The East India Company was founded in 1660, it
came for trade purposes but later it granted
administrative powers to the traders.
Lord Cornwallis is called the father of British
Administration
He came to India in1786 as the Governor General, he
found corrupt practices in administration therefore
he made the salary of traders very handsome.
evolution of AdministrAtion
In 1880 Lord Wellesly founded Fort William College
at Kolkata for providing learning for Civil Services.
Later Hailey Bury College was established in
England.
Army also tried to rule over the people, the glaring
example is The First War of Independence.
Police Administration and District Superintendent of
Police post was created by Lord Cornwallis.
Acts of British government
Act of 1773-Regulating Act placed administration in
the hands of British Officers
Pitts India Act of 1784- placed administration under
the Crown
Charter Act of 1793- judicial and executive powers
were separated
Act of 1813 improved the status of education in India
and judicial system was reformed
Company Charter Act was renewed in 1833 and
William Bentick became the Governor General of
India and finally renewed in 1853
Acts cont……
Act of 1858- It ended company’s rule and transferred
the governance directly to the British Government
Council Act of 1861- Indianization of Administration
started
Act of 1892- It was the result of Indian National
Congress and it started elections partially.
Indian Council Act of 1909- created communal
cleavage in the Administration
Act of 1919- It abolished racial discriminations
against Indians in Administration
government of indiA Act of 1935
This is the turning point of Indian Administration as
there was an introduction of Federal Polity in India
and establishment of provincial autonomy.
There was a growth of All India Services
Evolution of Federal Public Service Commission
which after independence of India came to be known
as Union Public Service Commission
There was introduction of Local Self Government
Procedural reforms in the working of Secretariat
Finally evolution of Financial administration
legAcy of British AdministrAtion in indiA
Rule of Law
Bureaucracy
All India Services
Federal Set up
Parliamentary system
Democratic set up
Welfare state
With a few changes, the basic structure of the Indian
democracy carries the legacy of act of 1935 and the
British rule in the Country.
