Local Government in Ancient India c14.3

c14.3

The record relates that the community, consisting of Nāḍu, Nagara, and Nānādeśī, met in a special congregation at Śīrāvalli, comprising 1,500 representatives of all Samayas (religious denominations) coming from the four and eight quarters as well as of their followers of various sects and tenets. The object of the conference was to declare Śirāvalli a Nānādeśīya-Daśamaḍi-Erivīrapaṭṭana, and to confer certain privileges on the town. Such privileges were perhaps similar to those mentioned in another inscription assigned to the time of Rājendra-Cola I (*no.* 256 of 1912, *Report for* 1912–13), which gives some interesting details regarding the same merchant guild. It states that the guild were praised by 500 *vīra-śāsanas* (i. e. edicts ?) for their deeds, were protectors of the Valañjiya religion and devotees of Bhaṭṭārikā (i. e. Durgā ?), and comprised various sub-divisions coming from the 1,000 districts of the four quarters, the 18 towns, the 32 *velarpuram*, and the 64 *ghaṭikā-sthāna*. These Nānādeśīs met together at Mayilārpura (i. e. Mylapore) and decided to convert Kāṭṭūr, which was originally Ayyapulal into a Vīrapaṭṭaṇa, and thus to exempt its inhabitants from all communal contributions, entitling them to receive twice what they used to get previously (perhaps in the matter of honorary privileges). They resolved also that henceforward the town was not to be inhabited by such members of the mercantile classes as (1) demanded taxes or tolls by threatening people with drawn swords or by capturing them, and (2) wantonly deprived people of their food or otherwise afflicted them. They also declared that those who offended against this decision were placed outside the Valañjiya community (i. e. were excommunicated).