Administration and Social Life under Vijayanagar c8.104

c8.104

A valuable record at Tirukkalikuṉram in the Chingleput district discloses certain interesting details about the way in which the authorities of the temple decided a case of theft. According to the details contained in the inscription one Āindāṉ had in the year Pramādi stolen away 150 poṉ from the garland of God Kuṉravāṇa-perumāḷ. The Meykāval lodged a complaint before the temple trustees that the said Āindāṉ broke open the room in which the garland was placed, took some poṉ, and plastered the opening with mortar. The judges present at the time of the final hearing were the Śrī Rudra Māheśvaras of Tirukkāvaṇam, Śeṅilaṅkilāṉ, Tiruppilavāyiluḍaiyār Veṉrābaraṇaṉ, Ādittadēvaṉ, Dhanavāṉ Amarāpatikāttār, Kāraikkilāṉ Poṉṉambalakūttaṉ, the Kaikkōḷas and the Kaikkōḷamudalis. But during the time of the trial Āindāṉ had run away. Hence his properties consisting of four pieces of vacant land and the capitalised value of two kinds of rights of worship which he enjoyed in the temple were sold in public auction for eight hundred and fifty poṉ, and credited to the temple treasury.⁶¹ This inscription clearly shows that local authorities like the temple trustees also were allowed to try criminal cases. They went into the cases in a very elaborate way and gave their considered judgment.