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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
ADMINISTRATION Besides, the counsellors(mantrins) whom the king was enjoined to consult, the Purōhita
who, by his prayers and religious rites, propitiated gods and secured their help in warding
off all calamities and attaining success,1 and the Rājaguru who was greatly venerated must
have wielded considerable influence in controlling the arbitray actions of the king. There
were, again, rich and powerful śrēnis (guilds) and Ganas (corporations) which maintained
their own militia.2 The kings were not loth to use this military force in times of difficulty.
The existence of these powerful self-governing, institutions must also have exercised a
wholesome influence in curbing the oppressive tendencies of a despot.
Royal power must also have been considerably checked by the existence of powerful
feudatories. The latter enjoyed considerable privileges. They could make grants of
land in their own name without referring to the paramount power or even mentioning its
name in their records.3 The Gurjaras of Central Gujarat called themselves Sāmantas and undoubtedly owed allegiance to the Chāulukyas of Bādāmi, to whom they must have
paid an annual tribute; but in other respects they exercised independent authority and could
wage war or make peace on their own initiative. The Sēndrakas, the Gujarat Chālukyas and
the Harischandrīyas originally obtained their principalities by the favour of the imperial
Chālukya family of Bādāmi, but in their land- grants they generally make no mention of the
contemporary Chālukya Emperor. In later times, however, as the power of the central
authority increased, the feudatories became weak. Most of them were required to be in
attendance in the imperial court. The Prabandhachintāmani states that as many as 136
kings were in attendance in the court of Karna.4 It is significant that we have hardly any
grants made by these numerous feudatories of the Kalachuris of Tripuri. The only instances
known so far are those made by the princes of Karkarēdi,5 but they belong to the age
when the power of the imperial family was declining.
Kingship was hereditary. The eldest son was generally made the heir-apparent. He is
called Yuvaraja in earlier records, and Mahārājaputra or Mahākumāra in later ones. He helped
the king in the administration of the kingdom and succeeded him after his death. Śrāyśraya-
Śīlāditya, for instance, was governing South Gujarat on behalf of his father. He could make
grants of land in his own name and was also authorisewd to use his own seal for the charters
he issued.6 Sometimes a king himself in his old age crowned his son and himself retired
from government. Karna, the illustrious Kalachuri king, is said to have himself perform-
ed the coronation of his son Yaśahkarna.7 Junior princes were often appointed to
govern outlying provinces. The Gurjara king Dadda II appointed his brother Ranagraha
to govern a province. The latter could, however, make a grant of land only with the con-
sent of the reigning king.8 Kōkalla I had eighteen sons, of whom the eldest succeeded
him, while the younger ones were appointed rulers of the neighbouring mandalas.9 Later records generally mention the Mahārājnī or crowned queen among the persons
to whom the royal order about a grant of land was to be communicated. It is not known
whether she took any part in the deliberation of state affairs. She had, in any case, no
independent authority. the Kārītalāi inscription, while recording a gift of Rāhadā, the 1Cf. Rigvēda, IV, 50-7-9; NVA, p. 160.
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