၁၃။ ဆယ့္ေလးဌာန အုပ္ခ်ဳပ္ေရး
We have shown above how King Mindon devised the system in which the four ministers controlled the four departments into which government business was divided. However, only a part of the royal power was actually handed over to the four departments.
The four ministers who were at the head of these four departments were only established in a right to be consulted. It was only when the time of King Mindon’s sickness came that the four ministers could override the King’s power.
Now, when King Thībaw had just come to the throne, it seemed that there was an excellent opportunity for changing the system of government and, therefore, the plans for government gradually expanded.
The distribution of business between fourteen departments was a separate decision taken at the meeting in the North Garden in 1240 (1878). The fourteen departments were what are now called “Ministries”. They were –
1. Agriculture
2. Handwork industries
3. Land warfare
4. Taxation
5. Religious knowledge
6. Purisamedha
7. Sassamedha
8. Criminal Justice
9. Civil Justice
10. Water-borne warfare
11. Foreign Affairs
12. Partnerships
13. Town and village affairs
14. Mechanized industries
If we look at how, in modern times, ministries are formed, we shall be able to recognise these fourteen departments, but I believe that it will be best to give a clear explanation of the old usages and an explanation follows.
The department dealing with “Handwork industries” is that which dealt with public building works. What is now called the “Defense Department” is that which was called “Land warfare” and it now includes “Water-borne warfare”, which was then separate.
The duty of the “Human Resources” department (purisamedha) was that of supervising the King’s personal estates.
In modern times it would be referred to as the Treasury. The “Foreign Affairs Department” still dealt with foreign affairs, but the department dealing with “Partnerships” was then separate. Its duties were to deal with legal cases involving foreigners in co-operation with the Agent of the appropriate foreign country.
In particular, at this time when a British subject was the subject of a criminal case in a foreign country, the British had the right of an extraterritorial jurisdiction in association with the local authorities. This was the origin of the “Partnership” department.
The “Town and Village Affairs” department was the department concerned with the administration and control of territories outside of the capital area. The remit of the “Mechanised Industries” department was that of the present “Department of Industries”.
Once the division of government functions between the fourteen departments had been devised, the meetings of the parliament took a different shape. Formerly the parliament held three sessions in the day -- the morning session, the midday session and the evening session.
In the new arrangement ministers did not attend to make individual decisions, as the minister of the parliament had done. Rather, the sessions were called on the lines of western countries’ Parliaments.
According to the Myanmar Min Okechokepon Sādan there were sixty-four officials who attended the meetings of the parliament. These officials were divided into three grades in accordance with Abihnaµ sannipætæ ; those who attended the first level, the second level and the third level meetings.
The first level was for the ministers, the secretary of a government ministerial department or the minister of the interior (in the days of Myanmar monarchy) and the officer who assisted the parliament ministers in the days of Myanmar dings or gazette officer of sub-divisional rank in colonial days., who had the prime responsibility and, according to the MMOS, it was a meeting of fifteen officers.
Since the business of government had been divided between fourteen ministries, it seems that this should have been fourteen officers. The second level meeting was held between members of the group of executive ministers, such as the ministers of Cavalry, the ministers of trade and commerce and the Infantry ministers.
The third level meetings were attended by the officers guarding the palace compound, army officers and, always, the officer guarding the palace’s Red Gate. Officials attending these three levels of meetings had the responsibility of making laws and therefore all these officials can be compared with the old parliament ministers. They were not, however, appointed by popular election.
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