Local Government in Ancient India c13.135

c13.135

As in the case of acquisition of land, similarly in that of its distribution, disposal or sale, the assembly was possessed of sweeping powers. The lands which belonged to them as the common property of the village (*madhyama*) were parcelled out among inhabitants who would pay the prescribed taxes on each *kuli* (no. 7 in *S. I. I.*, vol. III, part I). The settlement operations were conducted by the land-survey committee of the assembly already referred to. Sometimes the assembly instead of settling land would sell it out and out when so desired by the purchaser, especially if for a worthy object, viz. endowing some form of worship in the temple. The majority of South Indian inscriptions record this kind of transaction. To such philanthropists and pious men the assembly afforded every facility in making their gifts in the form most convenient to them. One of these convenient forms was the assignment of land to maintain the charity, and the assembly alienated their own land in consideration of the fair price paid for it. The price paid was to be sufficient not only to meet the royal dues on the land, but also to maintain out of its interest the proposed service to the temple. Such lump sums, the annual interest of which would cover the yearly rent due on the land, are called *iṟai-kāval* in the inscriptions. But besides selling the land to facilitate pious gifts the assembly would further assist the donor by undertaking the administration of the gift for the execution of its purposes. This kind of transaction was so common and frequent that it added considerably to the burden of the assembly's administration, and there was evolved accordingly a special department—the garden committee—to cope with it. This committee was made responsible for the various purposes to which the gifts of lands by private donors, local and foreign alike, were consecrated according to their wishes. As we have already seen, sometimes the normal use of the land, viz. its cultivation, was kept up to yield the revenue out of which a perpetual lamp would be maintained at the temple. But sometimes land was devoted to other uses, as for growing gardens for the supply of flowers and garlands for the temple, or for orchards for the supply of specified fruits.