Administrative System of the Marathas c18.s9.44

c18.s9.44

The balutas, as we have seen before, were twelve in number (they were: Mahar, Sutar, Lohar, Chambhar, Parit, Kumbhar, Nhavi, Mang, Kulkarni, Joshi, Gurav, and Potdar), and received their remuneration called baluta in kind, a fixed amount of grain at the harvest time. Corresponding to the twelve balutas there were twelve alutas. But of all these balutas and alutas only the Joshi demands a special mention here. The word Joshi, derived from Sanskrit *Jyotishi*, means an astrologer. And the large number of inams that the astrologers got from Shivaji and his successors, in reward of their successful prophecies show what a hold they had over the popular mind. Nothing important was ever undertaken without consulting the astrologer. So every village required a Joshi of its own. His remuneration, as recorded in the deed of sale executed by Mhalsabai (already quoted in connection with the Kulkarni watan) was (1) baluta equal to Gurava's (temple priests), (2) presents at the temple (Prasad) equal to first class baluta, and (3) 25 bighas of gram land yielding 12½ maunds per bigha. It is noteworthy that on the failure of legal issue, a Joshi would not be succeeded by his natural children in the ancestral watan. This principle is well illustrated by a civil suit, that of Mallarbhat and others vs. Subhana Dasiputra (maid-servant's son).