The Rashtrakutas and their Times c19.s2.1

c19.s2.1

Feudatory states are not a new feature in the Indian polity introduced by Lord Wellesley. Since very early times empires in India have generally consisted partly of directly administered areas, and partly of territories under feudatory states, which were allowed a large amount of autonomy in return for their allegiance and tribute to the imperial power. Writers like Manu have laid down that even when an enemy king is conquered or killed in war, the conqueror should not annex his state, but should appoint a near relative of the former ruler as his own nominee to the vacant throne, imposing his own conditions upon him. The Mauryan, Gupta, Vardhana and the Gurjara-Pratihāra Empires show that this principle was very largely followed in practice in Ancient India. Even foreign observers have noted this peculiar feature of the Indian polity. Writing in about 850 A.D., Sulaiman says :—‘When a king subdues a neighbouring state in India, he places over it a man belonging to the family of the fallen prince, who carries on the government in the name of the conqueror, The inhabitants would not suffer it to be otherwise.’ The Rāṣṭrakūṭas also usually followed this principle, and as a result, the empire included a large number of feudatory states. Examples of attempts at annexation are not unknown; thus Dhruva I had imprisoned the Ganga king and appointed his eldest son Stambha as the imperial viceory over the newly annexed province.(63) Govinda III is described in the Baroda plates of Karkka (64) as the uprooter of the royal families; Karhad plates of Kṛṣṇa III were issued when that king was encamped at Melpadi in South Arcot district, engaged in creating livings for his dependents out of the newly conquered southern territories, and in taking possession of all the property of the defeated feudatories.(65) It must be, therefore, admitted that some of the more ambitious rulers of our dynasty sought to set at naught the principle of non-annexation; but it has to be added that their efforts were one and all unsuccessful. Gangawadi could not be directly administered as an annexed province for more than 30 years, and the portions of Tamil country that were annexed by Kṛṣṇa III were recovered by the Cholas immediately after his death.