History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c13.s3: Territorial Divisions
History of Mediaeval Hindu India (being a History of India from 600 to 1200 A.D.) v1.c13.s3
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Territorial Divisions
v1.c13.s3.1
The plates show traces of 4 territorial divisions.
v1.c13.s3.2
1 Vishaya the largest corresponding to the modern administrative division.
v1.c13.s3.3
2 Ahāra or Aharaṇi that is collectorate (ahar, collection) corresponding to the modern district or zillah.
v1.c13.s3.4
3 Pathaka, of the road, a subdivision, a place named and its surroundings.
v1.c13.s3.5
4 Sthali : a petty division of a place without surroundings.
v1.c13.s3.6
The district of Kaira and the province of Kathiawad to which the Valabhi grants chiefly refer appear to have had separate systems of land assessment, Kaira by yield, Kathiawad by area. Under the Kathiawad system the measurement was by the padāvarta literally the space between one foot and the other that is the modern Kadam or pace. The pace used in measuring land seems to have differed from the ordinary pace as most of the Kathiawad grants mention the bhūpadāvarta or land pace. The Kaira system of assessment was by yield, the unit being piṭaka or basketful, the grants describing fields as capable of growing so many baskets of rice or barley, (or as requiring so many baskets of seed.) As the grants always specify the Kaira basket a similar system with a different-sized basket seems to have been in use in other parts of the country. Another detail which the plates preserve is that each field had its name called after a guardian or some tree or plant. Among field names are Kotilaka, Atimenakedāra, Khandakedāra, Gurjarakshetra, Bhimakshetra.”.
v1.c13.s3.7
(In the above Chauroadharanika is a higher police officer than the mere pagi. For the word occurs in nothern grants also. Again Rājasthānīya cartainly means the representative of the king in the district or tehsil and has nothing to do with Rājasthān a modern word for state. This word occurs in the Mandsaur inscription also as already stat ed, and there stands for the subā or viceroy. By Vishaya I would tak ethe modern tehsil and Vishayapati, Tehsildar and not subā who would be Rāshtrapati more properly.
v1.c13.s3.8
It may be added that nearly the same names were used in nothern India as we have shown in our extact from the Deo-Barnak inscription already given.)