365bet娱乐

During the time of Somesvara, the Calukya empire had become too extensive to be ruled by one central executive body. It was not possible to have direct dealings with the distant provinces. For administrative efficiency, the empire was divided into a number of provinces, and they were constituted as separate units under the village heads. The Gramadhikari was the village head, the link between the government and the village throughout the whole of India's long history. Dr.Krishna Murari says: "He is the gramani of the Vedic times, the gramasvami of the Arthasastra of Kautilya, and the gramabhojaka and Vodeya of the other Calukya inscriptions." 80 The rural population lived in villages that were headed by gramanis, the headmen, and were more or less self-sufficient and autonomous. They were the primary cells of the body politic, which held the society together. Each village had an assembly which met periodically or on urgent occasions for the settlements of disputes. 81 80. op.cit. p.203. 81. A.V.Narasimhamurti and B.K.Gururajarao: Samagra Bharatiya Itihasa. (Gita Book House, Mysore 1976) p.331.

71 Somesvara's Manasol'lasa discusses this matter in detail. 82 It tells in this respect, that "Gramadhikari takes village tangles (problems) to the head of the Dasagramas. If it is not solved, both are to inform the head of the Vimsati-gramadhikari. If it is not complete, the problem 1 is taken to Sata-gramadhikari, Sahasra-gramadhikari and lastly to the king and all are to find the proper solution for that matter. In this way in the Calukya period there was good and self-sufficient administration in the local areas. Every village had its representative, in the king's assembly. The Janapadas or different villages were under the administrative control of Janapada-mahattara, also known as rastramukhya. Every village was thus 82. grame dosam samutpannamasaktassasitum yadi | dasagramesinam samsad daso vimsatisvare || vimsatisah satesyaya tat sarvam vinivedayet | bruyada gramasatasvami sahastrasvamine'khilam || utpannamstu tatha dosan gramadasu niveditan | jnatva tatra sthitah sarve kuryustesam pratikriyam || CE. manusmrti - 7.115-117. gramasyadhipatim kuryaddasagramapatim tatha | vimsatisam satesam ca sahastrapatimeva ca || gramadosansamutpannangramikah sanakaih svayam | prasid gramadasesaya dasakha vimsatisine || vimsatisastu tatsarvam satesaya nivedayet | prasamsad gramasatesastu sahasrapataye svayam ||

72 self-governing and there were unions of villages and selfgoverning federations. Rural politics was, to a great extent, independent of state politics. India owes the preservations of her culture to her self-governing villages. The political revolutions or the changes at the top hardly affected the rural people. "Giving evidence before a select committee of the house of commons (1832), Sir Charles Metcalfe summed up the position in the following words: The Indian village communities are little republics, having nearly everything they want within themselves, and almost independent of any foreign relations. They seem to last where nothing else lasts. Dynasty after dynasty tumbles down, revolution succeeds revolution... but the village community remains the same... This union of the village communities, each one forming a separate little state in itself has contributed more than any other cause to the preservation of 1 the peoples of India... and is in a high degree conducive to their happiness, and to the enjoyment of a great position of freedom and independence. 183 83. Radhakrishna Choudhary: Kautilya's Political ideas and Institutions. (The Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, Varanasi, 1971), p.196.

73 Limitations upon the Royal Power Although the king was practically supreme in the administration of the State, the established laws of the land, customs and religion exercised considerable influence on royal despotism. Somesvara says that a king should always be willing to receive good advice, and the minister, Purohita, subordinate officers, and feudatories, Gramadhikaris, prominent persons of the State as well as friends should be prepared to offer sound advice. The king is advised not to neglect the counsel of his ministers, otherwise he will soon find himself overwhelmed by his foes. His obstainacy will plunge him into ruin. During the Calukyan period the scope of State's activities became wide. So, naturally it necessitated the growth of public service. The king had to provide people with the means which caused prosperity to them, but it was impossible for him to do so alone, so he had to organise a very efficient civil service for carrying out multifarious affairs of the State. The Calukyan 84 84. mahabharata santiparva - 94.24-26. raksadhikaranam yuddham tatha dharmanusasanam | mantracintyam sukham kale pamcabhirvardhate mahi || etani yasya guptani sa raja rajasattam | satatam vartamano'tra raja bhunkte mahimimama || naitanyekena sakyani satatyenanvaveksitum | etesvaptanpratisthapya raja bhunkte mahim ciram ||

74 Government was not rigidly centralized. The provincial governors, subordinate officers and feudatories, vassals and potentates exercised their authority with a certain measure of freedom within their circles. "The decentralization and freedom of action was more effective at the 85 lowest levels of village administration. Though under the control of central authority in a few vital matters like state revenue, law and order and foreign relations the villages were autonomous units which were given a free hand in shaping their way of life and managing their multifarious day-to-day affairs. In respect of the Agrahara villages whose number was fairly large, the autonomy was fuller and more fruitful. A king was approved by the people to act as central authority for the maintenance of law and order and for protection from 86 foreign invasion. A king had to govern the State according to the Smrti laws with the help of his prakrti. 'So the king was, thus, a constitutional monarch. If a king failed in his duty and acted in contravention, a conflict between the king and the people was inevitable. 85. P.B.Desai, op.cit. p.205. 86. Mahabharata Santiparva Chapter 67, RV.X.173. AV.1.9; III. 4, IV.22, VI. 87-88. I;

' 75 The next check over the king seems to be the feudal nobility and prominent persons of the state who, backed by the people, could defy the tyrannical rule of the king by raising an armed rebellion. Sometimes, By this Another check, that influenced the king's policies, was the public opinion which was generally conveyed to the king through the state officials and spies. he himself went out to know the public opinion. the king always remained conscious of the rightful conduct of kingly duties. Moreover, an extensive decentralisation of Government functions and powers invested in the village councils, town committees, district boards and a number of corporate institutions embracing the spheres of agriculture, trade, commerce, and industries also served as a check on king's prerogatives. Dr.P.B.Desai says: "The spirit of democracy was in evidence in all walks of life, among the castes and communities, classes and masses and groups and sections."87 87. op.cit. p.205.

76 In ancient India a king in his old age generally preferred to abdicate the throne in favour of his heir and spent the rest of his life in religious and spiritual activities. Kalidasa says in Raghuvamsa that the kings left their mortal coils through the practice of Yoga. 89 88 According to Dr.Krishna Murari, "Somesvara I (Ahavamalla) bathed in the river and gave much gold in charity. He entered the river Tungabhadra again and proceeded to the middle of the stream until the water reached his neck. In the din, caused by the waves and a number of musical instruments, he drowned himself. have taken place in Saka 991 (A.D.1069)." This event must So the Indian kings did not misuse their powers; they wanted welfare of the public and the state. The queens also participated 90 in the administration of the government; they gave their suggestions for the progress of the people. I 88. raghuvamsa - prathama sargah 8. saisave'bhyastavidyanam yauvane visayaisinam | vardhake munivrttinam yogenante tanutyajam || 89. Op.cit. p.99. 90. Dr.P.B.Desai: Opicit. p.185. Cf. Dr.Krishna Murari: Op.cit. p.151-52.