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The Indian Analyst
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North Indian Inscriptions |
ADMINISTRATION
the Northern Śilāhāras and prove useful in chronological discussions. In North Koṅkaṇ the ministers were generally five in number.[1] The following dignitaries are generally mentioned as looking after the administration of the State: (1) the Mahāpradhāna[2] (called Sarvādhikārī in one record) or the Chief Ministers ; (2) the Mahāmātya[3] or the Chief Administrator ; (3) the Mahā-sāndhivigrahika[4] or the Minister for Foreign Affairs ; (4) the Prathama-Chhēpāṭi[5] or the Senior Treasury Officer and (5) the Dvitīya-Chhēpāṭi[6] or the Junior Treasury Officer. Of these, the Mahāpradhāna and the Mahā-sāndhivigrahika were more important than the others; for they are invariably mentioned in almost all records of the Northern Śilāhāras. One record mentions two Sāndhīvigrahikas, one of them being designated Karṇāṭa-Sāndhivigrahika.[7] The latter apparently looked after the Foreign Department dealing with the Karṇāṭaka Division. Strange as it may seem, one record mentions the Nāgara-Sāndhivigrahika[8], but what his function was is not known. The Chhepāṭi or Treasury Officer is called Bhāṇḍāgāra-sēna[9] in some records. Below these high Ministers and Officers there were Amātyas, Sachivas, Sāndhivigrahikas etc. One record mentions a Kaḍit-āmatya,[10] who was an Accounts Offiecr. Another mentions the Rājaguru[11] or the Royal Priest, who also seems to have exerted considerable influence at the royal court. In a subsequent record he figures as an Mahāmātya.[12] One grant mentions a Laghu-Rājaguru,[13] who seems to have been his assistant. Śrī-kraṇī,[14] mentioned in one record, was apparently the Superintendent of the Secretariat. The learned Brāhmaṇas who received royal grants were expected to perform eight duties, one of which was observation of national duties (rāshṭra-dharma-nirīkshaṇa).[15] Some record from South Koṅkaṇ and the Kolhāpur reigon mention a Haḍapa or Haḍapavaḷa, who seems to have been a betelbox-bearing attendant of the king.
.. An early record[15] of the Northern Śilāhāras mentions some other officers such as the Śaulkika (Customs Officer), the Gaulmika (Station House Police Officer), the Chaurōddharaṇika (the Eradicator of thieves), but these terms do not occur in later records, through these offices must have continued in those times also. The headman of a village Paṭṭa-kila (modern Pāṭīl) is mentioned in some records.[16] ..
In towns and villages local administration was carried on with the help of Committees
on which merchants, artisans and trade-guilds were represented. Members of the Committees
were called Mahājanas.[17] Their number sixteen is mentioned in one record.[18] In some records
they are called Mahattaras (representatives of the towns or villages). In the Chānje inscription
they are called Mhātārās[19] (Sanskrit, Mahattaras), and are cited as witnesses. The head of such
[1] No. 9, line 23.
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