Theory of Government in Ancient India (Post-Vedic) c6.150

c6.150

for each village. He must ascertain the characteristics of all persons in the village and all their faults which need correction. He is to control all the produce and possessions of the village. Every ten villages should be placed under a superintendent to whom the village headman should communicate all information and towards whose maintenance he should contribute. Over these superintendents is to be placed the lord of a hundred villages, who should have a large village for his sustenance. Next comes the lord of a thousand villages who has a minor town as the source of his salary. He is to enjoy the grain, gold and other commodities derivable from it. Over the whole organisation of villages was placed a minister who was to supervise them and to regulate their mutual relations. Every officer in the hierarchy is to keep his superior informed of all happenings in the area of his jurisdiction so that the government was expected to know everything about everybody. Every town should have an officer with subordinates. He too was expected to be omniscient about his charge.¹ It is probable that the local organisation which the Mahābhārata prescribes followed the existing practice. The village headman or grāmaṇi is mentioned frequently in Vedic literature, where he seems to combine civil and military functions.² The Maitrāyaṇī Saṃhitā also mentions the Śatapati or lord of a hundred villages who seems to have combined general, fiscal, judicial and political authority.³