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It is difficult to make a clear distinction among the territorial units (尘补峁囜笉补濒补, bhukti, and 惫颈峁�a测补), as we have discussed before. Although we have distinguished them by their size, it is difficult to say for sure what their true nature was at different times. Thus we find almost similar officials in the administration of the above territorial and regional units. However, some individual administrative posts are seen only in district and village administration in northern India. Those are as follows

顿谤补峁単颈办补:

顿谤补峁単补 is stated to denote a town, and as such, it is surmised that 顿谤补峁単颈办补 was one put in charge of a city-station having the duty of collection of customs duties.^[1] Possibly this term was connected with 诲谤补峁単补 occurring in the phrase sa-u诲谤补峁単补, which might have indicated the main land-tax; usually, this phrase is followed by sa-uparikara (with extra levies) and as such 顿谤补峁単颈办补 could have been the collector of the land-tax from the villagers on behalf of the king.

痴颈峁�a测颈办补 / 痴颈峁�a测补辫补迟颈:

痴颈峁�a测颈办补/ 痴颈峁�a测补辫补迟颈 were the heads of those 惫颈峁�a测补s at the period under discussion.^[2] They were like modern collectors of districts. Revenue collection was his primary duty. D膩modarpur plate inscriptions mentioned that he had his main office in district towns called 础诲丑颈蝉迟丑腻苍补. ^[3] It is known that 厂补尘腻丑补谤迟颈蝉 assisted him during revenue collection.^[4]

碍丑补峁囜笉补辫补迟颈:

痴颈峁�a测补蝉 were divided in several other divisions called 办丑补峁囜笉补蝉 which may be compared to modern subdivisions as we compared 惫颈峁�a测补s to current districts in our study. Though 碍丑补峁囜笉补辫补迟颈蝉 were the sub divisional officers^[5] and their functions may be assumed as 痴颈峁�a测补辫补迟颈s, we are not sure if there were such territorial divisions during all the period in our study. Maybe bigger dynasties divided 惫颈峁�a测补s to several 办丑补峁囜笉补蝉 for betterment of administrative structure.

Mahattara:

Mahattara is the designation of a senior officer or head of a village council.^[6] This term must have referred to the elders (leading, senior land-holders) who were in charge of the local village administration. Probably the term also referred to the council of the senior citizens of the village, who had intimate knowledge of the life and activities of the inhabitants of and the layout of the land in the village.^[7] Again, it is known from the history of Odisha and nearby regions that in the medieval period, the districts were governed by contemporary district boards, which consisted of 尘补丑腻 (high)- Mahattara. ^[8] Maybe they helped 痴颈峁�a测补辫补迟颈s to run district administration at that period.

笔谤补尘腻迟谤颈 and 骋补尘腻驳补尘颈办补:

笔谤补尘腻迟谤颈 is an officer in charge of measuring the king鈥檚 share of grains as collected from land-holders in villages. 骋补尘腻驳补尘颈办补 is the so-called Messenger^[9] at that period.

The mainstay of provincial administration was rural administration under any dynasty or government right from the ancient to the modern age. Throughout the ages, village administration has been the lowest administrative unit of the state. Unfortunately, we do not find any mention of village administration separately; however, inscriptions of northern India records so many villages have been gifted to the 产谤腻丑尘补峁嘺蝉.

From these inscriptional evidences we may build some idea about the number of villages at that time, the socio-economic-political condition, and village administration systems at that period. Under the rule of the Guptas, 贬补谤峁�a , Maitrakas,and R膩峁�trak奴峁璦s we find a large number of villages. The village administration was carried on by the 骋谤腻尘颈办补 and 骋谤腻尘测别办补, respectively, under Gupta rule. The 骋谤腻尘颈办补 or 骋谤腻尘补辫补迟颈 was the head of the village, was informed of the views of the village, and the approval of the government and was perhaps appointed based on hereditary rights.^[10]

From the epigraphic records, it is learned that there were a large number of villages in northern India during the period under discussion. Sometimes we find the name endings of the communities were as such padra, padraka, or 驳谤腻尘补. The villages were the centers of the economy in the society of northern India. Often the charters recorded the divine intention of the donor for the welfare and happiness of the tenants. But unfortunately, the charters do not pay much attention to specify the functions and utility of the officials and administration. Likewise, 痴颈峁�a测补辫补迟颈s and 碍丑补峁囜笉补辫补迟颈蝉, 骋谤腻尘颈办补 or 骋谤腻尘补辫补迟颈 (village headman) occupied the top position in the village administration.

Sometimes 惭补丑腻尘补丑补迟迟补尘补 or Mahattama used to perform duties of the village headman. This officer was in charge of defense village and protection of the people from anti-social elements in respective villages. Besides this, he maintained law and order to collect different revenues and to keep records relating to given assignments of sale, transfer of land properties. The village headman had to promulgate royal edicts and to preside over the village councils.^[11] Thus the village headman, whoever acted, played a significant role in the village administration, and the king appointed various officers to give royal orders to the head of the village regarding the grant of land.^[12] The village head man was assisted by several subordinates to lighten the heavy burden of administration. In the matters of revenue collection during early-medieval age, he was supported by elders or sometimes by Mahattaras.

The most influential body of local administration was perhaps the village council. The main task the village council was to settle down the disputes and to look after the public utility and other needs of the village community. Mahattara was the head of the cabinet, and he probably consulted with the village elders on essential issues of village administration. The function of other officials like Bhogijana (head of a village), 搁腻箩补惫补濒濒补产丑补 (king鈥檚 favorites), 搁腻箩补辫耻迟谤补 (doubtfully younger son of the king) cannot be determined.

There were some more administrative posts about which very little are known. Apart from these, other executive positions seem to have been similar to those of the central and provincial administration. It seems to me that some people from the same administrative post were assigned to the central administration and some tothe provincial and local administration in most cases. It appears that districts and villages were administered in almost the same manner as a province or a country.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

D.C. Sircar, Indian Epigraphical Glossary, p. 101.

[2]:

EI, vol. XXVIII, pp. 22-23.

[3]:

Ibid., vol. XV, p. 130.

[4]:

JBORS, XVII, pp. 17, 35.

[5]:

EI, vol. XI, p. 96.

[6]:

USVAE, vol. III, p. 30.

[7]:

D.C. Sircar, op. cit., p. 191.

[8]:

B. Das, op. cit., p. 134.

[9]:

D.C. Sircar has explained the significance of these designations of the royal officials that stated to have been classes of subordinates addressed by the ruler. (EI, vol. XXXIV, pp.170171).

[10]:

Bani Prasad, State in Ancient India, p. 13.

[11]:

A.S. Altekar, History of the Village Communities in Western India, pp. 45, 54-55.

[12]:

EI, vol. VIII, p. 326.