State and Government in Ancient India c23.s5.20

c23.s5.20

Growth of feudalism was a marked feature during this period. Kings used to assign fiefs liberally to their relatives and officers, as was done by king Avantivarman of Kashmir.¹ The Paramāras, the Chaulukyas and the Chāhamānas also encouraged the feudal system by making liberal land and village grants to their relations and officers.² Chāhamāna Pṛithvīrāja, Kalachūri Karṇa, and Chaulukya Kumārapāla had 150, 136 and 72 Sāmantas or feudories under them.³ Kings thus became direct rulers over their feudatories and not over their subjects. These feudatories, even when small, had their own courts and secretariats.