Indian Epigraphical Glossary c6.3207

c6.3207

*Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara* (IE 8-2; EI 30; CII 4; HD; BL; SITI; CITD), according to the lexicons, a sovereign ruler who is the lord of 40 yojanas of land and a lakh of villages; but, in insciriptions, generally, the governor of a district or province; title of a feudatory ruler or governor (see Bomb. Gaz., Vol. XXI, p. 354); see Maṇḍaleśvara essentially meaning ‘the ruler of a maṇḍala or district’; also called Mahāmaṇḍalika, etc.,. cf. Mahāmaṇḍaleśvar-ādhipati. The status of a Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara seems to have been superior to that of a Maṇḍaleśvara, while Mahāmaṇḍaleśvarādhipati apparently enjoyed a still higher rank.