The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v1.c6.s7.t5: Viṣaya
The Early History of the Deccan (Parts I–XI) v1.c6.s7.t5
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Viṣaya
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We now turn to the *viṣaya* which, as already stated, is the most common administrative unit in the Deccan from the fourth century A.D. to the tenth century. The antiquity of the term is carried back to the third century B.C. In the Sārnāth Pillar Edict of Aśoka we have reference to the *koṭa-viṣava* (*Koṭṭa-viṣaya*), ‘district round a fort’. The designation did not find much favour with the Sātavāhanas, the Ikṣvākus, the Bṛhatphalāyanas, and the early Pallavas, but was popular with the Śālaṅkāyanas, Kadambas, and succeeding dynasties. In the Śālaṅkāyana period the Kūdūr-*āhāra*, governed by a *Vāpata* or official under the Bṛhatphalāyanas, came to be known as Kūdūrāhāra-*viṣaya*. This is one among many instances of the conversion of *āhāras* into *viṣayas*. One of the latest examples is the Kheṭakāhāra-*viṣaya* of the period of the kings of Valabhi. Sometimes a bigger *viṣaya* included a smaller one, and the latter is a converted *āhāra*. Thus in the Nausāri plates of Śryāśraya-Śilāditya (latter part of the seventh century A.D.) we have the passage *Bāhirikā-viṣayāntargata-Kanhavalāhāra-viṣaya*, i.e. a *viṣaya* of the name of Kanhaval-*āhāra* included within another *viṣaya* styled Bāhirikā. We give below a list of the more important *viṣayas* that are known to have formed parts of the Deccan proper and some contiguous areas, namely:
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Goparāṣṭra-*viṣaya*—part of the Nāsik District. Nāsikka-*viṣaya*—Niphāḍ and Nāsik *tāluks* of the Nāsik District. Vaṭanagara-*viṣaya*—Chāndvaḍ or Chandor *tāluk* of the Nāsik District. Mṛgathaṇikāhāra-*viṣaya*—on the north bank of the Gaṅgā, provided Gaṅgā refers to the Godāvarī, and not to the Bhāgīrathī. Koṅkaṇa-*viṣaya*—stretching from Wāriav, just to the north of Surat, to Kuṇḍivāṭaka possibly in Saṅgameshwar *tāluk*, Ratnāgiri District. We have also reference to Koṅkaṇa as a *rāṣṭra* and a *maṇḍala*. Koṅkaṇa-*rāṣṭra* possibly stretched southwards as far as Gokarṇa in North Kanara. Koṅkaṇa included smaller *vishayas* of the name of Mahirihāra-*vishaya* and Ṣaṭṣaṣṭi-*vishaya* (Salsette). The Avaretikā-*vishaya* is mentioned in records discovered in the Chiplūṇ *tāluk* of the Ratnāgiri District, Koṅkaṇa.
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Antarmandali-*vishaya*—apparently a part of Aparānta or the Koṅkaṇa.
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Iridige-*vishaya*—one of the seven Koṅkaṇas. It included the Sāwantwāḍi State and the Ratnāgiri District.
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Pūnaka-*vishaya*—in the Poona District.
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Paḷayaṭṭhāna-*vishaya*—identified with the state of Phaltan watered by the Nīrā, a tributary of the Bhīmā.
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Karahāṭa-*vishaya*—modern Karāḍ in the Sātāra District. [We learn from certain epigraphic records that the district consisted of 4,000 cities, towns, and villages. One inscription puts the figure at 10,000.]
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Pagalaṭi-*vishaya*—included Tumbagi in the Bijāpur District. Fleet identifies it with the Hagaraṭage-*nāḍu* in the Gulbarga District. It is possible that the *vishaya* in question embraced parts of the Bijāpur as well as the Gulbarga District.
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Karṇapuri-*vishaya*—in the Sāloṭgi region, Bijāpur District.
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Kuhuṇḍi-*vishaya*—also known as Kūṇḍi, included the greater part of the Belgaum District and some adjoining territory. Its capital was at Sugandhavartin, Savandavatti, or Savadhavatti, modern Saundatti in the Belgaum District. Belgaum (Velugrāma, Veṇugrāma, or Veṇupura) was also at times the seat of government.
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Pānumgala-*vishaya*—round modern Hāngal in the Dhārwār District. The capital Hāngal, ancient Pānumgal or Hānumgal, is also mentioned by the appellation of Pānthipura, Vairāṭapura, Viraṭana-koṭe and Virāṭanagara. The name Viraṭana-koṭe affords ground for citing the district round it as an instance of a *koṭṭa-vishaya*.
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Belvola-*vishaya*—this was ‘the country round Gadag, Aṇṇigere, Kurtakoṭi, and Nargund in Dhārwār, Hūli in Belgaum, and Kukkanūr in the Hyderabad State’.¹
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¹ Fleet, *Kanarese Districts*, 432.
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Eḍevoḷal-*vishaya*—on the north-east of Banavāsi in North Kanara. The Toramara-*vishaya* may have been in a neighbouring area.
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Sagara-*vishaya*—possibly in the Gulbarga District.
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Māsvāḍi-*vishaya*—apparently near Koppal.
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Naḷavāḍi-*vishaya*—‘in the direction of Bellāry and Kurnool’.
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Kaṇṇa-*vishaya*—the exact identity is uncertain. It may have been connected with the Karṇapuri-*vishaya* in the Bijāpur District.
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Chakrakūṭa-*vishaya*—represented by modern Bastar.
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Rūpāvartanī-*vishaya*—probably to the north of Tekkali now in the Vizagapatam District.
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Varāhavartani-*vishaya* or Koluvartani-*vishaya*—embraced the coastal region between Chicacole and Tekkali.
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Kaliṅga-*vishaya*—included Rākaḷuva, modern Ragolu near Chicacole. It is either an older name for the Varāhavartani-*vishaya*, or the parent territory from which that *vishaya* was carved out, along with Rūpāvartanī and a few other *vishayas* named below.
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Bhogipura- or Bhogapura-*vishaya*—the Bimlipatam division of the Vizagapatam District.
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Bārupunāṇḍu-vishaya—the Yellamañchili tract of Vizagapatam. Pḷaki-vishaya or rāshṭra—Chipurupalle region. Dimile-vishaya—Sarvasiddhi tāluk of Vizagapatam. [To the south and west of this lay the area included within the Andhra country proper as distinguished from Kaliṅga. The Varāha river may have formed the dividing line.] Anmakoṇḍa-vishaya—apparently the district round Hanamkoṇḍa and Waraṅgal. Prolu-nāṇḍu-vishaya—on the southern side of Piṭhāpuram in the East Godāvarī District. Uttaravarusha-vishaya—close to the Prolun-āṇḍu District. Guḍḍavāḍi-vishaya—includes the Rajole and Rāmchandrapuram tāluk s of the East Godāvarī District.¹ Pagunavara or Pāvunavāra-vishaya—possibly not far from Drākshārāma in the Rāmchandrapuram tāluk. Attili-vishaya—answers to the Tanuku division of the West Godāvarī District. Reṇḍ-eṟulu-naḍimi-vishaya—‘Two-rivers-middle-district’ or Sindhu-yugm-āntara-deśa between the Godāvarī and the Kṛishṇā. Veṅgīpura-vishaya—consisting of 1,000 villages, apparently the district round Peddavegi near Ellore. It is possibly identical with the Veṅgināṇḍu-vishaya. Kudūrahāra-, Kudrāhāra-, Gudrahāra-, Gudravāra-, or Gudrāvāra-vishaya—comprises the Bandar and Guḍivāḍa tāluk s in the Kṛishṇā District. A Piṭhāpuram inscription mentions a ‘pair of districts named Gudravāra’ (Gudravāra-dvaya); the reference may be to Gudravāra proper and a contiguous district to its north, possibly Guḍḍavāḍi. Velanāṇḍu-vishaya—includes Repalle tāluk, Kṛishṇā-Guṇtūr region. Konnātavāḍi-vishaya—portion of Sattanapalle tāluk. It had for its chief city Śrī-Dhānyāṅkapura or Amarāvatī.
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¹ Journal of Andhra History & Culture, 1, i (April 1943), p. 45.
Cites (1)
- Sarnath Pillar Edict — Prakrit