State and Government in Ancient India c23.s4.6

c23.s4.6

Yuvarāja usually stayed at the capital and helped his father to carry on the administration. He used to accompany him on important military expeditions; sometimes he was himself entrusted with them, as was the case with Govinda II in 770 A. D. Other princes used to be appointed to the posts of provincial governors, as was the practice also under the Mauryas and the Guptas. Under the Rāshtrakūṭa administration princesses are rarely seen occupying government posts. The only known instance is that of Chandrabelabbā, a daughter of Amoghavarsha I, who was administering the Raichur Doab in 837 A. D. Under the later Chālukyas, the practice of appointing princesses to high government posts became very common. Mailādevī, one of the queens of Someśvara I, Akkādevī, an elder sister of Jayasimha III and Lakshmīdevī, the chief queen of Vikramāditya VI, were holding important administrative charges. Under the Rāshtrakūṭas, we get one instance of a crowned queen, Śīlabhaṭṭārikā making a land grant without any permission of her husband Dhruva. Probably the omission of king's permission is accidental. There is no reason to believe that either Śīlabhaṭṭārikā or any other crowned consort was a regnant queen.