Pre-Buddhist India: A Political, Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey of Ancient India Based Mainly on the Jataka Stories c5.32

c5.32

The third type, namely the Border villages (paccantagāmas) was also a very notable feature of those days. We have already seen, that these border-villages were in a very insecure condition owing to the organised depredations of robbers and marauders.¹⁰ It was for this reason that these paccantagāmas, where it was difficult to distinguish between a rebel and a loyalist,¹¹ could not reasonably flourish as much as the villages of the former types which were nearer to the heart of a kingdom or which enjoyed the privileges of a close proximity to towns and cities.¹² It is therefore not at all surprising that we read of some border villages deserted and in a ruined state (purāṇagāmaṭṭhāna).¹³ The economic life of the people on the borders was very largely in a primitive stage, as we see them making their settlement wherever they can best find their food, dwelling and shelter.¹⁴