Indian Epigraphy c16.s3.37

c16.s3.37

The practice of addressing a number of officers in connection with grants of land gradually came into vogue and the lists of officers furnished in many of the copper-plate charters give us a clearer picture of the administrative set up of some of the kingdoms. Sometimes it was specifically stated that the address was meant for present and future officers and subordinates who were then and might be later associated with the gift land.¹ The earliest copper-plate grant giving such a list of officers is the Hirahadagalli plates² of Pallava Śivaskandavarman. The royal order in respect of a grant of land was addressed in this case to the following categories of the king’s subordinates: Rājakumāra, Senāpati, Rāṣṭrika, Māṇḍapika, Deśādhikṛta, Grāmāgrāmabhojaka, Vallava, Govallava, Amātya, Ārakṣādhikṛta, Gaulmika, Tairthika, Naiyogika and other servants like the Sañcaratka and Bhaṭamanuṣya.³ Of these, the Rājakumāras were of course princes of the royal blood and the Senāpati the commander of the royal forces. The Rāṣṭrika seems, as in the earlier inscriptions referred to above, the governor of an administrative or territorial unit called Rāṣṭra, while the Deśādhikṛta was likewise the ruler of a similar unit called Deśa. The Māṇḍapika was the officer in charge of the maṇḍapa or customs-house, called māṇḍavī in Marāṭhī and Gujarātī.⁴ Grāmāgrāmabhojaka refers to the Jāgīrdārs enjoying various rent-free villages in the kingdom. The Vallava and Govallava were respectively ‘the keeper of horses’ and ‘the keeper of cows.’ The Amātya was a minister or an administrative officer.⁵