The Ashta Pradhan was a council of eight ministers that administered the Maratha Empire. The council was formed in 1674 by Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The term Ashta Pradhan literally translates to “the Prime Eight”, from the Sanskrit ashta (“eight”) and pradhan (“prime”). The body discharged the functions of a modern council of ministers. This is regarded as one of the first successful 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 the military campaigns against the Mughal Empire. 

Following is the sequence of Ashta Pradhan,

Pradhan – General Administration, Muzumdar – Finance, Sacheev – Secretary, Navis – Internal affairs, 

Senapati – Defence, Sumant – External affairs, Nyayadhish – Judicial / Justice, Panditrao – Internal religious and Education

In a public building, there is constant foot traffic day to day. In such a situation, it is ideal to have fewer floors, so people can access each floor on their own with ease, rather than relying on mechanical devices (lifts/escalators).

In the case of the administration building, we have used the atrium and straight flight staircase to connect different levels. The atrium functions as a point of arrival and a congregation space, and the straight flight staircase allows for visual and physical connection between the two levels.

Based on today’s notions of administration, the 21 departments are subdivided into eight categories. Each Pradhan is assigned to the department that resonates with his portfolio. The individual Pradhan is planned as a building block around a courtyard that resonates with the local architecture of the Rajwadas, which is based on an idea of space around a courtyard, where the courtyard creates a microclimate for passive lighting and ventilation, and a space for social gatherings.

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