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The foremost duty of the king according to the 'Law' (Dharma) was the protection of the people. In wars he led the armies on the battle-field and in times of peace his most important work was the administration of justice. This branch of administration has been discussed in the this chapter from pages 165-177. monarch. The country, as Somadeva describes, was divided into a large number of states each ruled by a personal The king is usually guided, as we have seen, by an intelligent and devoted minister often a Brahmin. We have also references to the system wherein the crownprince and his future ministers, when young, were under 690. Nirnaya Sagar 3.4.403, 125. 691. Ibid. 6.4.137-138. 692. Ibid. 12.36.231-236. 693. Ibid. 18.3.5.

158 training and then appointed as his futurer ministers. There is little evidence of a complex political or administrative organization at the centre. We have to believe that the system of regional administration by means of a trained buraucracy which has been started by ancient rulers continues to survive and function. It was a familar feature of these days. Somadeva describes Bharata as a country between Himavat and Vindhaya and watered by the river Jannavi 694 695 (Ganges). He divides Bharatavarsha into Dakshinapatha and Uttarapatha. These divisions are often mentioned. There can be no doubt that extensive states had well-marked i 696 boundaries. The Kampilya vishaya (Kamplya country) is mentioned as a territory of 100 yojanas in expanse. These states had well-marked boundaries. They were divided into different administrative units, provinces or districts and villages. Yet we are unable to gather much information about the provincial or village administration. Terms such as 'Rastra', 'Pararastra', 'Desa' 'Seemapranta (border district) have been used in the Kathasaritsagara The pranta'(border territorial unit i.e. vishaya is often mentioned. But on many occasions an independent kingdom is also mentioned 694. Nirnaya Sagar 3.4.61 (Vindhayadri himavanmadhayavartishu 695. Ibid. 5.2.23. jannavi jalapute). 696. Ibid. 7.3.51, 7.3.34,35, 5.2.121-122, 5.1.114,9.2.96. 8.6.274,151, 18.1.76, 12.31,5, 7.4.104, 6.7.25. 697. Ibid. 9.4.214, 3.6.33, 12.29.4, 3.6.29. 12.34.41.

159 by Somadeva as a 'Vishaya'. Therefore it appears that n Somadeva has confused the meaing of the term 'Vishaya'. Thus according to him it meant a district in a kingdom as well as an independent kingdom. Mandala, a still larger unit is also referred to by him. But Vishaya. appears to be the popular administrative unit. The Kathasaritsagara 698 mentions 'Vishayas' (districts) such as Lavanaka, 699 700 701 702 710 703 704 Bharakachcha, Kampilya, Kirata, Pundra, Kalinga, Anga 705 706 707 708 709 711 712 Nepala Chedi, Chola, Padma, Lata, Karnata, Rewa, Malava, 713 Kanyakubja etc. The various states (rastras) that have often been mentioned in the various stories from the Kathasaritsagara are 714 719 715 716 717 718 720 Vabsa, Kalinga, Magadha, Anga, Lata, Vidarbha, Saurastra 698. Nirnaya Sagar 3.1.119-120. 716. Nirnaya Sagar 7.4.3. 699. Ibid. 19.22. 700. Ibid. 5.2.23. 701. Ibid. 12.3.47. 702. Ibid. 12.18.27. 703. Ibid. 3.5.92. 704. Ibid. 12.4.106, 12.15.3. 705. Ibid. 12.22.3. 717. Ibid. 12.4.106. 718. Ibid. 3.5.104. 719. Ibid. 9.5.234/2. 720. Ibid. 9.4.108. 706. Ibid. 6.8.10. 707. Ibid. 12.7.138. 708. Ibid. 3.6.7. 709. Ibid. 12.7.140. 710. Ibid. 12.11.119. 711. Ibid. 3.5.98. 712. Ibid. 4.1.106. 713. Ibid. 4.1.86. 714. Ibid. 3.1.119. 715. Ibid. 7.2.13.

721 722 723 724 725 160 726 Karnata, Trigarta, Kashmir, Nepal, Aparanta, Pratisthana, 730 731 727 Pundra, Kampilya, Konkana, Madra, Nishadha, Kirata, 729 735 736 728 732 734 at 137 740 Madhayadesa, Kamarupa, Sindhu, Kanyakubja, Srikantha, 738 733 739 742 743 741 Chola, Kerala, Malava, Panchala, the Mlenchcha Territory 744 The Madhayadesa, a \ of Parasika, Huna and Turuska. province comprising of modern Allahabad, Agra, Delhi and 745 Audh is mentioned. The territory between the river Ganga 746 and Jammuna is mentioned as Antervedi Jamplina Antervedi. 721. Nirnaya Sagar 8.4.106. 722. Ibid. Epilogue. 723. Ibid. 10.7.55. 724. Ibid. 12.22.3. 744. Nirnaya Sagar 3.5.86.115. 745. Ibid. 9.2.265, 6.6.105. 746. Ibid. 6.6.42. 725. Ibid. 18.1.76-77. 726. Ibid. 12.9.5,12.8.22, 10.2.2. 727. Ibid. 12.18.27. 728. Ibid. 5.2.33. 729. Ibid. 8.1.159/2. 730. Ibid. 8.1.17.- 731. Ibid. 18.1.80, 13.1.80. 732. Ibid. 12.3.47. 733. Ibid. 6.6.105. 734. Ibid. 3.5.113. 735. Ibid. 3.5.86,115. 736. Ibid. 4.1.86, 10.5.219. 737. Ibid. 3.6.33. 738. Ibid. 3.5.95. 739. Ibid. 3.5.95. 740. Ibid. 3.5.95. 741. Ibid. 12.5.205. 742. Ibid. 18.3.4. 743. Ibid. 3.5.86,115.

161 The capitals of these kingdoms are often mentioned. 747 Thus the Kathasaritsagara mentions Shobhavati (Kalinga), Alaka 748 749 752 750 (Nishada), Champa (Anga), Saketa (Kosala), Koshambi 751 753 (Vatsa), Kundinapura (Vidarbha), 'Pataliputra (Magadha), 754 755 Sakala (Madra) and many more capitals. The kingdoms were probably divided into different administrative units called the Vishayas (districts). Bharukachchha, Lavanaka, Lata, Pundra, Kirata, Malava Padma, Shrikantha are a few districts already mentioned above. This appears to be a popular administrative unit since as already stated it is often mentioned in the various stories from the Kathasaritsagara 747. Nirnaya Sagar 12.30.4. 748. Ibid. 12.34.41-42. 749. Ibid. 12.15.3, 12.4.106. 750. Ibid. 751. Ibid. 1.1.64. 752. Ibid. 9.5.234/2. 753. Ibid. 7.1.54-55. 754. Bbid. 8.1.17. 755. 6.1.135, 3.1.63.

162 Mandala, a territorial unit of much a bigger size is also referred to. Thus Kathasaritsagara mentions the 'Kashmir' 756 mandala. The term Janapada is also mentioned and probably 757 meant a territorial unit as well. The people living in these units have often been 758 mentioned as 'paurajanapadas. The people living in the 759 towns are mentioned by terms such as 'pauras', nagarikas', 760 while, those in the villages are called as 'gramavasi, grampyaka' and 'grampina'. The administrative set up of the vishaya, Mandala or the Janapada is not mentioned in Kathasaritsagara But as mentioned already they were managed probably by means of a trained bearracracy. We therefore pass on to the next administrative unit in the kingdom namely the city (Nagara).