State and Government in Ancient India c23.s6.29

c23.s6.29

The items of expenditure in the south Indian administration were similar to those in the north Indian one. The royal court took a lion's share. Administrative posts were tending to become hereditary and were often paid by land or village assignments; so the cash expenditure on civil list did not appear to be very heavy. Wars between the different states were very frequent and so the expenditure on the army was considerable. It was held that 'the money which is utilised in buying elephants and horses, in feeding them, in maintaining soldiers, in the worship of gods and Brāhmaṇas and in king's own enjoyment could never be called an expenditure' (*Āmuktamālyada*, IV. 262). The Cholas and the Pāṇḍyas were maritime powers also and used to maintain a fairly strong navy. It is therefore very likely that the army and the navy together must have consumed about 50% of the state revenues, as is permitted by the *Śukranīti*. A number of Chola records show that the temples, like the Rājarāja shrine at Tanjore, enjoyed a number of grants made to them by the Government. There were a large number of temple colleges in the South, where students were not only taught free but were also given stipends for a number of years. Chairs or *adhyanana-vṛittis* were also maintained at a number of temples. The huge temples, which are a legitimate source of pride to South India, must also have meant a heavy demand on the public exchequer. South Indian administrations must have allotted quite sizeable sums to gods, temples, Brāhmaṇas, education and charity. If the Vedic scholarship of South India is a source of envy to North India or the so-called Āryāvarta, the credit must be largely given to the Sourth Indian states, which fostered Vedic scholarship and Sanskrit studies with admirable solicitude.