Hindu Administrative Institutions c7.s3.16

c7.s3.16

In the *Rig Veda Saṃhita* Indra is a *samrāṭ*, and, *Varuṇa*, a *svarāṭ*.⁵ It is contended that the titles *parameṣṭhyam*, *rājyam*, *mahārājyam* and *svāvaśyam* are of the heaven world. But a close study of the inscriptions demonstrates that earthly monarchs bore most of these titles. Hence they were not titles exclusively applicable to monarchical rulers of the other world only. These once signified qualities and came later on to mean gradations depending on the annual income of the state or a king. For the *Sukranīti*, generally regarded to be a later work on Polity, has the following interesting gradation according to incomes. The titles of kings in order are *Sāmanta*, 1 to 3 lakhs, *Maṇḍalika* 4 to 10 lakhs, *Rājan* 10 to 20 lakhs, *Mahārāja* 21 to 50 lakhs, *Svarāj* 51 to 100 lakhs, *Samrāj* 1 to 10 crores, *Virāj* 11 to 50 crores, and *Sārvabhauma* above 51 crores.¹