The Ancient and Medieval Architecture of India: A Study of Indo-Aryan Civilisation c8.40

c8.40

For imperial administrative and political purposes villages in ancient and medieval India were grouped together in tens, twenties, hundreds, and thousands, each group acknowledging a Râja—the over-lord or chief of a tribe—whose duty it was to protect the village lands and the public roads under his control from robbers and to defend them from other enemies, in return for which each village or group of villages paid him a certain *vali*, or tribute. But the principle of mutual obligation between the rulers and ruled was recognised to such an extent that in case the officers of the over-lord who were responsible for public safety failed to detect and punish offenders, the overlord himself was expected to make good from his treasury any loss which individuals or the community might suffer. Whether this obligation was generally fulfilled by the central authority is another matter—the fact that this was one of the implications in *noblesse oblige* shows that the democratic principle of government was fully understood in ancient India.