State and Government in Ancient India c17.2

c17.2

Before we consider the provincial, divisional and district administration, it would be necessary to understand the scheme of territorial divisions in vogue in ancient India. It has to be observed at the outset that there was no uniformity in this respect. As in modern so in ancient days, some districts and divisions were small, while others were large. This was partly due to difference in population and fertility and partly to political causes. If a feudatory had a small fief, which was later annexed to an empire, it would normally constitute a separate and, therefore, a small district. On the other hand, a frontier district may become large owing to gradual encroachment and expansion. The growing importance of a place would also lead to the incorporation of larger number of villages in it; thus Karhāṭaka district (*vishaya*) in Mahārāshṭra had 4000 villages in it in 768 A.D. but 10,000 in 1054 A.D.