Vedic Index of Names and Subjects v1.c3.s12.527

v1.c3.s12.527

At the head of the village was the Grāma-ṇī, or ‘leader of the village,’ who is referred to in the Rigveda,²⁵ and often in the later Saṃhitās and in the Brāhmaṇas.²⁶ The exact meaning of the title is not certain. By Zimmer²⁷ the Grāmaṇī is regarded as having had military functions only, and he is certainly often connected with the Senānī, or ‘leader of an army.’ But there is no reason so to restrict the sense: presumably the Grāmaṇī was the head of the village both for civil purposes and for military operations. He is ranked in the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa²⁸ as inferior to the Sūta, or ‘charioteer,’ with whom, however, he is associated²⁹ as one of the Ratnins, the ‘jewels’ of the royal establishment. The post was especially valuable to a Vaiśya, who, if he attained it, was at the summit of prosperity (gataśrī).³⁰ The Grāmaṇī’s connexion with the royal person seems to point to his having been a nominee of the king rather than a popularly elected officer. But the post may have been sometimes hereditary, and sometimes nominated or elective: there is no decisive evidence available. The use of the singular presents difficulties: possibly the Grāmaṇī of the village or city where the royal residence was situated was specially honoured and influential.³¹