Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c12.s2.t2.37

v1.c12.s2.t2.37

These inscriptions from Hiriyūr not only confirm our assumption as regards the hereditary offices of the village (vamśa-pārampariyavāgi talavāru-bēgāru-vagaire ninna makkalāgi etc), but also enable us to suppose that the sthala-gauḍige of a village was confirmed by a Mahānāyakācārya, who, we may reasonably presume, was a servant of the king. This strengthens our assertion that the Vijayanagara monarchs, on the application of the claims for the hereditary offices, allowed the ancient machinery of the villages to run on its own course under the general supervision of their officials, as is evident from the words of the Mahānāyakāchārya : namma mokkla ninu bandu namma samusthānadalli arike-māḍikoṇḍu namma appaṇeprakārakke mariyādi saha naḍasi yiruvudakke sadari-grāmada sthalada gavuḍikeyannu ninage nēmisi śāsana nirūpa ap (p) aṇekoḍisi yiḍitu.¹