Administration and Social Life under Vijayanagar c6.70

c6.70

Two valuable lithic records, one found at Kilūr and the other Elavanāśūr, both in the South Arcot district, disclose certain interesting facts. According to them, the ministers took presents by force from the Right and Left Hand classes at the beginning of each reign; and the discontented ryots in consequence went away to foreign countries; worship and festivals ceased in temples and the country became full of disease, and many died. Hence the king interfered and prohibited such extortion in future, and required that the order should be engraved in the whole country. But Aṇṇappa Uḍaiyār, to whom the royal order had been addressed, got it engraved only in some places, but not in others. Hence an order was sent to Nāgarasa, who made known the order of the king to the whole country. These records show that the kings took an active interest in orderly government.⁴⁰