The Colas c27.38

c27.38

While thus, in the early period of imperial Cōḷa rule, the rigour of collection occasionally tended to become oppressive in character, the people were exposed, in later times, to another danger. This arose from the increasing autonomy of local chieftains who were no longer restrained by a powerful central government and often resorted to oppressive fiscal methods. An inscription from Tiruvoṟṟiyūr,⁸² dated A.D. 1213, records in detail a painful episode, possibly typical of several unrecorded occurrences of the period. A Yādavarāya chieftain either imposed a new tax or revised the assessment under an old head of revenue—the name of the tax involved is *pon-vari*—and levied a rate of one-fourth *mādai* on each *vēli* of arable land; he did not allow the usual exemptions in favour of deserted or decadent townships, but insisted on all the villages and townships of the *nāḍu*, whatever their condition, paying the full measure of the dues. The tax-gatherer appointed by the Yādavarāya came round to Punnaivāyil; and after collecting as much of the tax as he could, he caught hold of the members of the local *sabhā* and bound and imprisoned them; the members of the *sabhā* thereupon proceeded to sell away 80 *vēlis* of the cultivable land of the village together with part of its residential area for a sum of two hundred *paḷangāśus* in order to meet the balance of the oppressive impost. It is significant that the man who bought the land at once transferred it to the temple of Tiruvoṟṟiyūr, ear-marking it for certain specified purposes, religious and educational; this was obviously because of a sentimental dislike to use for one's own private benefit property acquired under such distressing conditions. Virtually, therefore, it comes to this: that a generous nobleman came to the rescue of the oppressed *sabhā*, and saw to it that though the village became distinctly poorer on account of the new impost, the loss it sustained was just made tolerable to it, as it led to a definite increase in the social amenities available in the neighbourhood. In the years 1238 and 1239, we have records⁸³ from Mannārguḍi, in the heart of the Tanjore district, stating in unmistakable terms the oppressive and vexatious nature of the imposts levied on the people by all and sundry authorities and the consequent resolution taken by them to abandon all cultivation until conditions improved. The language employed is very clear and furnishes an eloquent testimony to the internal condition of the Cōḷa kingdom in its decay: *palarum kai vandapaḍi taṇḍik-koḷgaiyālē eṅgaḷukkut-taripparudiyālē*, 'as it has become difficult for us to sustain ourselves on account of the arbitrary imposts exacted by several (persons).' These complaints from the people were heard by the *sabhā* of Mannārguḍi met together with the assemblies of five adjacent *nāḍus*, and the meeting resolved to authorise the people to pay only the legitimate dues that were then recorded in detail and to resist all other demands in excess of the standard laid down by that meeting. It should be noted, however, that considering the extent of space and time covered by these inscriptions, the instances of the employment of such oppressive methods are remarkably few indeed.