Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c12.s2.t2.16

v1.c12.s2.t2.16

Mr. Venkoba Rao, in his *Annual Report on Epigraphy for the year 1926*, comments thus on the above epigraph: "I have stated in my Report for 1924 (paragraph 111) that these village assemblies which had very considerable powers of self-government during the previous periods gradually ceased to exist after the conquest of the country by the Vijayanagara kings and their functions were taken over by the emperor or his representatives. The transaction recorded in the present inscription is another late instance of the vestiges of power wielded by the village assembly".² On what grounds the assertion that the village assemblies "ceased to exist after the conquest of the country by the Vijayanagara kings and their functions were taken over by the emperor or his representatives" rests, is not at all clear. We believe that the Vijayanagara monarchs did not introduce measures by which the powers of the local bodies lapsed to the central authority. On the other hand, we may be permitted to repeat, that as "promoters of the pūrvada-maryāde" (ancient constitutional usage), it was their endeavour to preserve the old order of things, and to allow the ancient officers to continue under the new government, although, as related elsewhere, they showed their discretion by placing over the local bodies officers of the Central Government.