State and Government in Ancient India c20.191

c20.191

We should not, however, attach any undue importance to these cases. Kashmir kings referred to above were exceptional tyrants; Śaṅkarvarman, Diddā and Harsha were a class by themselves. The last mentioned king not only spoliated temple property, but also defiled and confiscated divine images. We cannot therefore regard these rulers as normal representatives of their order. As regards south India, we have hundreds of inscriptions detailing arrangements about the revenue collections. It is indeed surprising that we should have so few references to fiscal oppression. Most of the cases referred to above relate to the closing decades of the Chola dynasty, when there was a distinct deterioration in administration.