Cultural Study of Nisitha Curni

SR No.: 001743
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Madhu Sen
Publisher: Sohanlal Jain Dharm Pracharak Samiti Amrutsar
Publication Year: 1975
Total Pages: 432
Language: English, Prakrit
Classification: Book_English, Agam, Canon, & Literature
File Size: 23 MB

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A CULTURAL STUDY OF THE NISITHA CURNI
desa and rajjal are regularly mentioned in the text and these units were placed under their respective heads. There being no imperial power, the country was divided into various independent States having a federal character of their own. As natural, our author's conception of a rajya or kingdom does not go far beyond the constitution of such States. The bhukti ruled by a king was called rajya (rajja) and was said to have been divided into the visayas2. Sometimes the bhukti consisted only of one visayas which normally led to a confusion between these two units during this time. The division of the bhukti into the visayas mentioned in the text appears to have been an ancient one which was not in practice during this time. Not a single bhukti is named in the text, although its head, the bhojika“, is regularly mentioned. The status of this officer was a little higher than that of the gramavya prtakas or equal to the village-headman," which shows that this unit, even if in existence during this time, was indeed mush smaller than a vişaya. Inscriptions from proper Gujarat also do not reveal the presence of this unit."
The vişaya, as noted above, was the largest administrative unit of the time, and as many as 16 visayas are mentioned.s Deśa' is another unit frequently mentioned in the text. This term has sometimes been used in a wider sense as in the Himdugadesalo, but usually it is used in a restricted sense.
1. TT-91-4-TSTOT 399t wouifat-NC. 3, p. 57. 2. राणयभोत्ती रज्जं भण्णति । सा पुण भोत्ती एगविसओ अणेगविसओ वा होज्ज ।
--NC. 1, p. 133. 3. Ibid. For controversy over the form of various units like the bhukti,
visaya, deša etc. sce-CII, III, pp. 32-33. 4. NC. 2, pp. 101, 162, 428. 5. 91H1975 Freret i att tatt Hilfa:--NC. 2, p. 183. 6. "fəal" THE HI-NC, 3, p. 579; Bih. Vr. 5, p. 1478. 7. Sankalia, H. D., Archaeology of Gujarat, p. 199. 8. NC. 1, pp. 51-52; NC. 2, p. 362; NC. 3, P, 425; NC. 4, p. 125 9. NC. I, p. 133; NC. 3, p. 37. 10. NC. 3, p. 59.