The State in Ancient India: A Study in the Structure and Practical Working of Political Institutions in North India in Ancient Times c20.145

c20.145

The Pithapuram Inscription of Pṛthvīśvara of the 12th century A.D. from the Kiṣṭnā district shows a line of hereditary Mahāmaṇḍaleśvaras ruling a territory divided into Viṣayas and conducting an administration of the regular type.⁵ The Salotji Pillar Inscription of the 11th or 12th century A.D. from the Bijapur district shows that feudatories had banners with peculiar emblems of their own. A golden Garuda marked the banner of a Mahamandalesvara who had attained to the five Mahasabdas.¹ The Nadagam Plate of Vajrahasta, of the year 1058 A.D. has a two-fold interest. It discloses a line of hereditary Maharajas becoming Maharajadhirajas. Next it shows that Visayas could be created ad hoc and that some of the Visayas were very small. Vajrahasta calls together his ministers and other people, clubs twelve villages together, designates the aggregate as the Visaya of Velpura and makes a grant of it.²