The Rashtrakutas and their Times c19.s2.11

c19.s2.11

The measure of internal autonomy that was enjoyed by the feudatories was not uniform as observed already. The bigger among them like the Gujarat Rāṣṭrakūṭas and the Konkan S'ilāhāras enjoyed large amount of internal autonomy. They could create their own sub-feudatories.(78) Subject to the payment of a certain amount of tribute they had full powers over their revenues. They could assign taxes, (79) alienate villages, (80) and even sell them (81) without the sanction of the imperial power. The position of these feudatories was probaly as high as that of Kumārapāla of Assam and Dhruvasena of Valabhi in the court of Harsha. How slender was the control which the proud feudatories were disposed to tolerate in our period can be judged from the following extract from a letter of Akkham, the Lohana chief of Brahmanabad, to Chacha, who had called upon him to recognise his sovereignty—'I have never shown you opposition or quarrelled with you. Your letter of friendship was received and I was much exalted by it. Our friendship shall remain and no animosity shall arise. I will comply with your orders. You are at liberty to reside at any place within the territory of Brahmanabad. If you have resolved to go in any other direction, there is nobody to prevent you or molest you. I possess such power and influence that can render you aid.' (82)