History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c62.341.4

v4.c62.341.4

the lekhaka was to be skilled in accounting and proficient in several spoken languages; the pratīhāra was to be of strong body, proficient in arms, humble and to call the villagers with the respect due to each; and the toll-gate keeper was to levy tolls in such a way that sellers did not incur loss of capital spent by them. From Kauṭ. III. 10 it appears that the village headman had the authority to inflict fines in certain cases e. g. when the headman (grāmika) had to travel on some business of the whole village the villagers were to accompany him by turns, but if they failed to do so they had to pay a fine of one paṇa or a half paṇa. Similarly, if a villager does not co-operate in the getting up of a show (prekṣā) in the village, he or his people would not be allowed to see the show and he was to be fined if he clandestinely saw it. In villages, particularly in Karṇāṭaka and South India and in brahmadeya grants (to learned brāhmaṇas) the village assemblies (sabhā) carried on local administration. From the Koṭavumachgi Inscription of Cālukya Vikramāditya V dated śake 934 (1012 A. D.) it appears that Ummachige was a great educational centre in the 11th century and 104 Mahājanas of the village were entrusted with the proper conduct of worship in the temple, the imparting of education, the feeding of ascetics, the supply of water to the village and the punishment of criminals (E. I. vol. 20 p. 59). Vide Gopalan's 'History of the Pallavas of Kāñcī' pp.