Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c12.s2.t1.7

v1.c12.s2.t1.7

In about the ninth century A.D. there were three kinds of village assemblies in southern India. One of these was composed entirely of Brahmans. The other two kinds were made up of cultivators, merchants, and men who belonged to other professions. Some of the rules laid down for membership of, for example, the brahmadēya or Brahman villages are interesting. The Uttaramallūr inscriptions of the times of Parāntaka I contain some details about this question. The information supplied by these inscriptions is confirmed by earlier epigraphs dated in the thirty-fifth year of the reign of Mārañjadaiyan (circa ninth century). It is stated that of the children of share-holders in the village, only one, who is well behaved and has studied mantra-brāhmaṇa and one dharma (i.e., Code of Law), may be on the village assembly (manru) to represent the share held by him in the village; and only one of similar qualifications may be on the village assembly for a share purchased, received as present, or acquired by him as stridhana (through his wife); (2) that (shares) purchased, presented, or acquired as stridhana could entitle one, if at all, only to full membership in the assemblies; and in no case would quarter, half or three-quarters membership be recognized; (3) that those who purchased shares must elect only such men to represent their shares on the assembly, as had critically studied a whole Vēda with its pariśiṣṭas; (4) that those who did not possess full membership as laid by rule (2) could not stand on any committee (vāriyam) (for the management of village affairs); (5) that those who satisfied the prescribed conditions should in no case persistently oppose (the proceedings of assembly) by saying 'nay, nay' to every proposal brought before the assembly; and (6) that those who did this together with their supporters would have to pay a fine of five kāśu on each item (in which they had so behaved) and still continue to submit to the same rules.¹