Studies in Cola History and Administration c8.29

c8.29

From this it is clear that the Mahāsabhā of this place had been in existence before the new settlement was arrived at, and what is even more remarkable, that the new rules and restrictions introduced for the working of the Sabhā were made entirely at the initiative of the Sabhā itself. There is at any rate no evidence of royal initiative or sanction for the constitution so adopted. Another noteworthy feature of this inscription is that it contains the earliest reference to vāriyam in the words: “muḷuc-cirāvaṇai-illādārai evvākaippaṭṭa vāriyamum ēṛaṇḍappeṛādār-āgavum,” meaning, “those who do not have full shares (cirāvaṇai) shall not be put in charge of any kind of vāriyam.” † The passage is not easy but it appears as if the vāriyam in this inscription was some kind of duty to be performed by a single individual rather than by a committee. This view receives support from an inscription from Sucīndram of the 15th year of Rājarāja I (999 A. D.) which has: