Local Government in Ancient India c13.118

c13.118

In connexion with these assemblies of different sizes, compositions and jurisdictions, it may not be amiss to define the hierarchy of administrative divisions to which they correspond. The best account of this hierarchy may be obtained from the administrative organization of the great Cola Empire under Rājarāja as reflected in the numerous inscriptions associated with that king. The Cola Empire is made up of no less than nine Maṇḍalas or provinces. Each of these provinces is made up of a number of divisions ranging from one to twelve. The total number of these divisions comes up to forty-five. Each division is called a Nāḍu and has a number of sub-divisions, also called Nāḍus or Kūrrams, each of which is named after the chief village in the group of subordinate villages belonging to the sub-division. (See Venkayya's introduction, *S. I. I.*, vol. II, part V). No. 73 (ibid., part III) uses the alternative term Rāṣṭra for Maṇḍala which is described as being constituted by twenty-four divisions called Koṭṭam or Viṣaya, while each such Koṭṭam is made up of four Nāḍus. In no. 82 (ibid., part IV) the series in an ascending scale is represented as village (*uru*)—Kūrram—Nāḍu. In no. 50 (ibid.)