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The Indian Analyst
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South Indian Inscriptions |
RELIGION which was probably the Judicial Department managed by a pañchakula.1The description hows that the merchant community had a preponderating representation on it. Other departments also must have had similar pañchakulas elected for their administration. The Anjaneri plates state that when the king Bhōgaśakti assigned certain taxes etc. for the maintenance of the temple of Bhōgēśvara in the town of Jayapura, he laid down that the festival of the god should be celebrated by five or event ten merchants in accordance with the custom of the town2The wording of the passage shows that five was the usual number of the members of such committees, on account of which they were usually known as pañchakulas. In special circumstances however a larger number up to ten was elected. The pañchakulas decided also civil and criminal cases and imposed fines. Some rules for their guidance were laid down by the central government.3 In other cases, the Anjanēri plates state, whatever eight or sixteen Mahallaksa would declare after due deliberation would be the right standard of punishment.4 This shows that sometimes the committees consisted of as many as sixteen members. Generally appeals were allowed on the decisions of the pañchakulas, except in the case of agrahāra villages which were donated with full powers of adjudication5 The members of the Pañchakulas were called Mahattaras (Prakrit, Mahallakas). There were evidently elected, but we have no information about the mode of election or the manner of voting. Their head or President was probably called mahattama. The Smritis lay down special qualifications for the post of the Mahattama. A Mahattama should be honest, conversant with religion, vigilant, self-controlled and high-born. Mahattamas were also called Pāñachakulikas, heads of pañchakulas The chief of them, called Mahāpāñ chakulika is mentioned in the Kahla plates6 He evidently resided in the capital, but what department he exactly represented we do not know.
Another officer who was common to both the town and the village was Gamāgamika.7 He is mentioned in the grants of Subandhu and the Sēndrakas. His function evidently was to keep a watch on persons coming into or going out of the town or the village. It is interesting to note that the Śukranitisāra also mentions a similar officer. He was specially in charge of the pañthaśālā or sarai of the village. He made inquiries about the caste, family, name and residence of the traveller the places he came from and was going to, and after, taking away his arms if he had any, made arrangements for guarding the sarai at night. In the morning the travellerâs arms were returned to him and he was escorted to the limit of the village.8
RELIGION 1No. 72, 1.9.
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