Social and Political Life in the Vijayanagara Empire (A.D. 1346 – A.D. 1646) v1.c13.s5.5

v1.c13.s5.5

In one case at least and perhaps in more, when an official of the Government as pārupatyagāra over villages and agrahāras levied customs duties contrary to ancient usage, his successor immediately rectified the matter and declared that the people were entitled not to pay illegal claims. Kāmappa Nāyaka, the pārupatyagāra over the chhatras, temples of the Dalavāyi-agrahāras, and rent-free villages, "levied from all" "customs duties which did not before exist", amounting altogether to 300 gadyāṇa. Peddirāja, son of Appāji of the Kāśyapa-gōtra, on receiving the aforesaid agrahāras and villages as a māgaṇi from Rāma-Bhaṭṭaya, remitted "the whole of these customs dues", together with the house dues of the Peruṅgūr-ayya for Hāru-vahaḷḷi Vogeya-samudra, "in order that merit may accrue to the king (Achyuta Dēva Rāya) and to Rāma Bhaṭṭayya", "having summoned the cultivators and with pouring of water in the presence of the god Srīraṅganātha in the middle of the Kāvēri". Not content with this, Peddirāja caused to be written in the same dāna-patra the following as a guarantee against future official oppression: "For the areca-nut of your rene-free lands neither customs nor collection are due. Besides the local transport tax of three haṇa to the merchants who buy your areca-nut, why pay customs and collection? You have nothing to do with them, and may enjoy (your produce) free of all imposts''.¹