Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c14.s3.55

c14.s3.55

We have seen that in the south the Maurya power at one time, had probably penetrated as far as the Podiyil Hill in the Tinnevelly district.⁴ In the time of Aśoka the Maurya frontier had receded probably to the Pennār river near Nellore as the Tamil Kingdoms are referred to as "*Prachaṁta*" or border states and are clearly distinguished from the imperial dominions (*Vijita* or *Rājavishaya*), which stretched only as far south as the Chitaldrug District of Mysore. The major part of the Deccan was ruled by the viceregal princes of **Suvarṇagiri**¹ and **Tosalī**, the *Mahāmātras* of **Isila** and **Samāpā** and the officers in charge of the **Aṭavi** or Forest Country.² But in the belt of land on either side of the Nerbudda, the Godāvarī and the upper Mahānadī there were, in all probability, certain areas that were technically outside the limits of the empire proper. Aśoka evidently draws a distinction between the forests and the inhabiting tribes which are in the dominions (*vijita*) and peoples on the border (*antā avijitā*) for whose benefit some of the special edicts were issued. Certain vassal tribes are specifically mentioned, *e.g.*, the Andhras, Palidas (Pāladas, Pāriṁdas), Bhojas and Raṭhikas (Risṭikas, Rāshtrikas?). They enjoyed a status midway between the Provincials proper and the unsubdued borderers. The word Petenika or Pitinika mentioned in Rock Edicts V and XIII should not, according to Dr. D. R. Bhandarkar and some other writers, be read as a separate name but as an adjective qualifying Rishṭika (Edict V) and Bhoja (Edict XIII). They draw our attention to certain passages in the *Aṅguttara Nikāya*³ where the term *Pettanika* occurs in the sense of one who enjoys property given by his father.⁴ The view that *Pitinika* is merely an adjective of Raṭhika (Risṭika) or Bhoja is not, however, accepted by Dr. Barua who remarks that “it is clear from the Pāli passage, as well as from Buddhaghosha's explanations, that Raṭṭhika and Peṭṭanika were two different designations.”cont