Hindu Polity: A Constitutional History of India in Hindu Times c56: Appendix to Part II: Appendix D. Additional Notes on Part II (1924)
Hindu Polity: A Constitutional History of India in Hindu Times c56
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Appendix to Part II: Appendix D. Additional Notes on Part II (1924)
c56.2
APPENDIX D.
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**P. 71.—***Sreshṭhin* or President of the Town.
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Divisional capitals or seats of Governments (adhishṭhanas) had their *Sreshṭhins* under the Guptas. EI. XV, 130 gives the *Nagara-reshṭhin* of *Koṭi* in the Province of Bengal under Kumara Gupta. He is given the honorific *Ārya* before his name (p. 142), and is associated with the District Officer in the administration of the district.
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Cf. also Rhys Davids, *Buddhist India*, pp 96-97, for *Jeṭṭhakā*, *pamukhā* taken as Aldermen or Presidents, and *Mahā-Seṭṭhi* as the Chief Alderman over the Aldermen of the guilds.
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**P. 124.—***Pratinidhi*: whether a Representative of the People?—
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**Pp. 130—131.—**Council of State and Representative of the People—
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District administration in Gupta times and Local Representatives—
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A sidelight is thrown by the Gupta system of District administration. The Damodarpur copper plates, discovered in the district of Dinajpur, Bengal (EI, XV, pp. 113—145), prove that the District Officer [ *Vishaya-pati* or *Vishaya āyuktaka*, appointed by the Governor (*uparika*) of the Province of Bengal (Pundravardhana *bhukti*), the latter holding his appointment from the Emperor direct] made settlements of land in conjunction with (*samvya-vahārati*) the President of the town (*Nagara-śreshṭhin*), the President of the merchants, the senior (*Prathama*) *Kulika* (town judge), the Senior city Registrar (Prathama Kayastha). We thus find the local representatives associating with the Government District Officer in an administerial act of the District.
c56.11
'The governmental authority of the district' (*adhishṭhānādhikaraṇa*) is expressly mentioned as vested in the government official along with the popular officials of the city corporation—*e.g.*, *Niyuktaka-kumārāmātya. Vetravarmmaṇi adhishṭhānādhikaraṇam cha Nagara-śreshṭhī* (*etc*).—*puroge samvyavaharati* (p. 133).
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Similarly in the Government of the State it is very probable that the process was repeated.
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Pp. 101—105.—*Mahattarāḥ*.
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See IA., X, 215 and EI., XV, p. 136 on *Mahattaras*. In the Damodarpur plate (EI., XV, 36) the *Mahattara and other Ashta-kula-adhikaraṇas* deal with settlement of land and report to the Governor. Cp. this with *ibid.*, p. 133, where the same function is performed by the President (*Sreshṭhin*), Kulika, Registrar, *etc.*, along with the Government District Officer. The Mahattara is there reporting from some interior town.
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INDEX