Indian Epigraphy c16.s3.89

c16.s3.89

The *Rājanaka* was apparently a smaller feudatory than *Rājan*. *Rājaputra* is the same as *Rājakumāra* of the Hirahadagalli plates, although the intention here may be to refer to the sons of the feudatories since the following *Rājāmātya* possibly indicates the ministers or administrators of the subordinate rulers. *Senāpati* (leader of forces), *Viṣayapati* (ruler of a district) and *Bhogapati* (superintendent of *Jāgīrs*) have already been discussed above. It is however interesting to note that, in the present case, the *Senāpati* is distinguished from the *Balādhyakṣa*. We have to remember in this connection that, according to some authorities, the smallest leader of the forces of an Indian king was a *Pattika*, ten of whom served under a *Senāpati*, while the *Senānāyaka* or *Balādhyakṣa* led ten *Senāpatis*.¹ Thus the *Balādhyakṣa* was a higher officer than the *Senāpati*, while the *Mahādaṇḍanāyaka* was probably a still higher military officer or a governor. The *Ṣaṣṭhādhikṛta* was no doubt the collector of the king’s grain share from the farmer and was practically the same as the *Dhruvādhikaraṇika* or *Dhruvasthānādhikaraṇika* of the Kathiawar inscriptions. The designation shows that the king’s share was one sixth of the produce at least originally. The *Daṇḍaśakti* is apparently the *Daṇḍika* of later epigraphs and may have been a sort of police magistrate, while the *Daṇḍapāśika* was probably a smaller police officer. The expression *Daṇḍapāśika* still survives in Oḍiyā *Daṇḍuāsi* meaning ‘a village watchman’. *Dauḥsādhasādhanika* seems to have been a leader of expeditionary forces requisitioned on occasions of emergency. The word *sādhanika* forming a part of this designation is the same as Prakrit *Sāhaṇia* and means ‘the commander of an army’. The designation *Sādhanika* in a Paramāra inscription and *Mahāsādhanika* in Merutuṅga’s *Prabandhacintāmaṇi* are used to indicate a chieftain or military governor.¹ The *Dūta* (envoy) is distinguished from the *Abhitvaramāṇa* whose designation seems to mean a messenger or carrier of letters meant for quick delivery of the message, etc. *Khola*, also known from the Ramganj plate to be discussed below, is unintelligible if he was not a special type of messenger, while *Gamāgamika* seems to have been the officer regulating the entrance in and departure from towns. *Hastyaśvagomahiṣājīvikādhyakṣa* was no doubt the officer or officers in charge of the king’s elephants, horses, cows, buffaloes, goats and sheep and may be compared with *Vallava* and *Govallava* of the Hirahadagalli plates and the *Vrajabhūmika* of the inscriptions of Aśoka. The *Naukādhyakṣa* was probably the admiral in charge of the royal fleet. The *Tarika* (superintendent of a ferry or the ferries) is the same as the *Tairthika* of the Hirahadagalli plates and the *Tarapati* of later records, while the *Śaulkika* was the collector of *śulka* or customs, similar to the *Māṇḍapika* of the Hirahadagalli plates. *Jyeṣṭhakāyastha* was the chief scribe or the representative of the scribal class on a board of administration. Since *Mahattara* was the head of a village or community and the member of a *Pañcāyat*, the *Mahāmahattara* appears to have been the head of a group of villages or the chairman of its council of administration, while the *Dāśagrāmika* was similarly the head of a group of about ten villages, or the chairman of the administrative council of the group.¹ These officials were apparently similar to the *Grāmakūṭa*, *Rāṣṭrakūṭa* and *Deśādhikṛta* of South Indian records.