Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c10.s8.46

v1.c10.s8.46

for outhouses, one *gadyāṇa* per house".¹ We may note in this connection that some kinds of quit-rent were called the prime minister's quit-rent (*pradhāni-jōḍi*), the *karaṇam*'s quit-rent (*karaṇika-jōḍi*), and the village watchman's quit-rent (*talavārike-jōḍi*).² "Fixed rent" (*siddhāya*) was the name given to a consolidated amount of rent payable by the people to the State. Thus Sadāśiva Nāyaka and Rāma Rāya Nāyaka, in about A.D. 1545, granted to Benakappa Seṭṭi of Araga and others, a *dharma-śāsana* in confirmation of that granted by Harihara Oḍeyar. "Harihara Oḍeyar made the dharma that for the Araga city the fixed rent and combined dues should be 100 *varāha*. Customs and watchmen's dues at the former rate. Thus much will we continue".³ Rent was paid, if we may be allowed to repeat, in money. Thus in about A.D. 1570 a certain Nāyaka gave to the *agrahāras* of the Araga-Gutti-sīme land having a money rent of 415 *varāha*.⁴ The residents of the *brahmadēya* village of Tirupputtūr, in Kērala-śinga-vaḷa-nāḍu, in Saka 1421 (A.D. 1499-1500), were allowed to enjoy their rent-free lands without imposition of any cess or service.⁵ Such rent-free villages in the Tamil lands were also called *taṇiyur*,⁶ and in the Karṇāṭaka *umbali*.