History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.341.3

v4.c62.341.3

58 and 60 condemns residence in a city for a religious brāhmaṇa where the body is covered with dust which enters one's mouth and eyes and recommends for residence a grāma abounding in water, fuel, fodder, fuel-sticks, kuśa grass, flowers, which is full of well-to-do people, endowed with industrious people, where the majority are āryas and which cannot be entered by robbers. In the Sabhāparva 5.84 five officers of a village are referred to. It appears that from being a very high officer (a ratnin) in Vedic times the grāmaṇī was reduced in his influence, came to be appointed by the king alone and the office became hereditary and could be given permanently. Vide E.I. vol. VII. p. 177, 188, 189¹⁹⁵. The Śukranītisāra (II. 120-21) states that there were to be six officers in a village and (II. 428-29) prescribes their caste, viz. sāhasādhipati (i.e. a magistrate to deal with wrongs involving force) was to be a kṣatriya, grāmanetṛ (the headman) a brāhmaṇa, bhāgahāra (the person collecting the state land revenue) a kṣatriya, lekhaka (a scribe, corresponding to the modern *kulkarnī* in the Deccan) should be a kāyastha, śulkagrāha (the toll-gate keeper) a vaiśya, pratīhāra (the guard at the gate of the village wall) a śūdra. Śukra (in II. 170-175) sets out their duties. The headman was to be alert in protecting the villagers like their parents from thieves, robbers and from the State officers, the bhāgahāra was to devote special care to the tending of trees;