ADMINISTRATION
CHAPTER VII
ADMINISTRATION
...THE country under the direct rule of the two branches of the Vākāṭaka dynasty
extended roughly from the Narmadā in the north to the valley of the Gōdāvarī in the
south and from the eastern boundary of Ṛishīka (Khāndēsh) in the west to the western
boundary of Dakshiṇa Kōsala (Chhattisgaḍh) in the east. This vast territory was divided
into a number of rāshṭras, also called rājyas, corresponding to the modern Commissioner’s
Divisions, some of which find a mention in our records. We have thus the Pākkaṇa
rāshṭra mentioned in the Belorā plates,1 the Bhōjakaṭa rājya in the Chammaka plates2 Vāruchha rājya in the Pāṇḍhurṇā plates3 and the Ārammi rājya in the Dudia and Pāṇḍhurṇā
plates.4 In the records of contemporary feudatory families, whose kingdoms were comparatively smaller, the rāshṭra were named after the directions in which they were situated.
Thus we find Uttara rāshṭra or Northern Division mentioned in the Bamhanī plates of
the Pāṇḍavavaṁśī king Bharatabala,5 and the Pūrva rāshṭra or Eastern Division named
in the Ārang plates of Māhā-Jayarāja6 and the Raipur plates of Māhā-Sudēvarāja.7 No
such divisions are, however, noticed in the Vākāṭaka grants. The rāshṭras were next divided
into a number of vishayas or districts. This appears clear from the statement in the Bamhanī
plates that the Pañchagartā vishaya in which the donated village was situated was included
in the Uttara rāshṭra (division) of Mekalā.8 The names of vishayas generally ended in
kaṭa or kaṭaka. Four such vishayas are named in our records viz. Bhojakaṭa comprising
roughly the territory of the modern Amarāvatī District,9 Bennākaṭa corresponding to the
modern Bhaṇḍārā and Bālāghāṭ Districts10, Nāṅgarakaṭaka, the exact location of which is
uncertain11, and Nāndīkaṭa which comprised the territory round modern Nāndēḍ in the
Mahārāshṭra State12. When a vishaya was too large, it was divided into parts which were
named after the directions in which they were situated. We thus find the apara-paṭṭa or
western division of the Bennākaṭa mentioned in the Tirōḍī one plates13. The vishayas were
further sub-divided into āhāras and bhōgas or bhuktis. Only one āhāra viz. the Supratishṭha
āhāra is mentioned in our records14. It seems to have comprised parts of the modern
Hiṅgaṇghāṭ, Warōḍā and Yeotmāl tahsils of Vidarbha. The relation of āhāra to bhōga is not
known. Our records mention three bhōgas viz. Beṇṇākārparabhōga15, Lōhanagarabhoga16
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1 No. 5, line 13.
2 No. 6, line 18.
3 No. 14, line 20.
4 No. 10, line 13; No. 14, lines 26 and 29.
5 No. 19, line 34.
6 C.I.I., III, p. 193.
7 Ibid., p. 198.
8 No. 19, lines 34-35.
9 Bhojakaṭa is said to have been founded by Rukmin, the brother-in-law of Kṛishṇa. See
Harivaṁśa, Vishṇuparvan, ch. 60, v. 32.
10 No. 11, line 13.
11 No. 24, line 2.
12 No. 23, line 5.
13 No. 11, line 13.
14 No. 2, line 10; No. 3, line 17; No. 12, line 17.
15 No. 7, line 17-18.
16 No. 13, line 20.
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