The Colas c27.15

c27.15

of their children. At Tiṭṭaguḍi (South Arcot), an image of the goddess Bhūmidēvi was set up about A.D. 1170, and the joint assembly of the Cittiramēḷi-periya-nāḍu and the Tiśai-āyirattu-āiññūṟṟuvar resolved to levy the following contributions for the requirements of services and offerings to the new deity: one *padakku* of paddy per annum on each plough (*ēr*), one *kuruṇi* on each labourer (*āḷ*), five *kāśus* to be paid by each florist (*mālai kaṭṭi parimāṟuvār*), two *kāśus* by each of the servants (*paṇi-makkaḷ*) employed under the two corporate bodies assessing the levy, four measures of *ghī* from each family of cowherds in the village. Those who went to the villages to collect these dues were to be given by each village: half *kalam* of white rice (*veḷḷai ariśi*), one *kalam* of *puri* rice, fifty areca-nuts, two *paṟṟu* of betel leaves, one *nāḷi* of salt, one *uri* of pepper, and one measure of gingelly oil; the collectors were also authorised to enter into dwellings, distrain metal vessels and break mud vessels in the process of collection.²⁴ One may doubt if these sanctions are to be understood literally; they might have been no more than an attempt to impress on the people the high importance and the urgency of the contributions thus levied. Four years later, in 1174, the guild of the oil-mongers subject to the Great Guild (*Mānagaram*) of Kāñcīpuram resolved that each oil-mill in the premises of a temple should provide for the specified number of lamps and offerings in the temple by contribution of the necessary *kaḍamai* and one old *kāśu* per annum, and should observe this rule as a caste-ordinance (*jāti-dharma*).²⁵ In 1232, the *māhēśvaras* attached to the temple and *maṭhas* at Tirukkaṇṇapuram (Tanjore district) resolved to supplement the dwindling resources of the temple by levying contributions, in cash and kind from the servants of the temples in specified areas and from those who wore the sacred cord (*pūṇūlē kuṟiyāga*); elaborate arrangements were also sanctioned for the collection of the dues and for the remuneration of the collectors.²⁶ The *pēriḷamaiyār* of Śangēndi (Trichinopoly district) order the collection of paddy from cultivators for meeting the requirements of the local temple.²⁷ In the eleventh year of Rājēndra III, A.D. 1257, the *nagarattār* of Kōvilūr (Tanjore district) made over to the temple of Uśāttānam-uḍaiyār some of the tolls and other dues, usually levied by them viz. the rice they got as *nilakkūli* on their lands, and the *pāḍi-kāval*, *kai-vāśi* and cash dues (*kāśu-vargam*) on each *podi* (bag) of rice brought into the township.²⁸ In 1264, an inscription from Ālanguḍi records the levy of a voluntary impost by the *rathakāras* on themselves for some purpose that is not clear owing to the damaged condition of the record.²⁹ Lastly an undated record from Tiruppaḻanam contains a resolution of the *nāḍu*, *nagaram* and *padineṇviṣaiyam* transferring to the temple certain dues usually collected by them from the farmers and the octroi duties on pepper, areca-nut, bales of cloth, bags of rice and so on.³⁰