History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v4.c63.117.2

v4.c63.117.2

119 and Kullūka thereon and Dāmodarpur plate of Gupta year 124 in which the head of the district (*viṣayapati*) is said to have been assisted by the nagaraśreṣṭhin, prathama-kulika and prathama-kāyastha (E. I. 15 p. 130) and 'grāmāṣṭa-kulādhikaraṇam' in E. I. vol. 17 p. 345 at p. 348 in the reign of Kumāragupta I. From the Sanchi stone Inscription of Chandragupta II (of the Gupta year 93 i. e. 412-13 A. D.) it appears that *panchayats* were called 'pañcamaṇḍalī' (Gupta Inscriptions pp. 29, 31). 'Śreṇi' means, acc. to most commentators, 'the corporation of persons following the same craft or avocation, though they may belong to different castes' such as horse-dealers, betel-leaf sellers, weavers and dealers in hide. Acc. to the V. M. p. 280, 'śreṇi' is an association of artisans or traders'. 'Pūgas' are assemblies of men of one place (a village or a town) belonging to different castes and following different avocations. Kāt. (225 and 682) distinguishes between *gaṇa* and *pūga* which he respectively defines as 'assembly of families' (*kulas*) (Sm. C. II. p. 18, Par. M. III. p. 352) and 'assemblies of traders and the like' (V. R. p. 668). V. P. p. 30 says *gaṇa* and *pūga* are synonyms. The king was thus the highest court of appeal and next to him was the court of the judges appointed by him. Bṛhaspati (S. B. E. vol. 33 p.