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EPIGRAPHIA INDICA.
[VOL. XXIV
The words Sabhā, Mahasabha and Perunkuri-Mahāsabhā occur in a large number of inscriptions of the Tamil country and denote the class of assemblies that were functioning there, and not a few of these epigraphs mention by name the persons that composed them. Judging from their names alone, which have prefixed to them, the golras to which they belonged such as BhaTadvaja, Kābyapa, Harita, Vatsa, etc., and the suffixes Kramavid, Sõmayāji, Vāja pēyayāji, Sarvakratu-Vajapēyayāji, Shadangavid, Bhatta, Bhatta-Sõmavāji, Dvivēdi, Trivēdi, Chaturvēdi, etc., it may be said that the members that took part in the deliberations of these organizations were Brāhmans. This fact proves that the qualifications for membership to the Sabha, laid down in the two Uttaramallur inscriptions published in the Archaeological Survey Report, and a fer other records of a similar nature, were strictly observed all the time the Sabha lasted. That this class of assemblies had under them several offices and services which were open to other castes of people is quite evident from the numerous inscriptions that register the transactions made by them; and the varied nature of their activities also required their enlistment. In spite of the presence of the people of other castes for carrying out the duties undertaken by the assemblies. there is nothing to doubt that the deliberative body was purely Brahmanical in this case. Similarly also the examination of the transactions of the assembly of the Ur recorded in a number of epigraphs shows that the deliberative body of that institution was purely non-Brahmanical though in the execution of its functions Brahmans may have been employed for some of the offices and services. The duties discharged by both the classes of organisations were in most cases identical. It seems that the locality and the occupation of the people determined the class of organisation that functioned in the place. A point that is worthy of note in our inscription is that the Perunikuri-Mahāsabhā referred to in the first person in the headline is later on spoken of as Sabha and Mahasabhā. The Sabhā is explained in Mancarthamu ktārali as grāma-Nagar-ādau niyatam jana-samüha-sthānam the place of meeting of the assembly of a village or town'.
The statement that the assembly met together generally during day time finds an echo in other epigraphs as well' and is suggestive of the fact that, if occasion required it, the body could also meet during nights. It is interesting to find this suggestion proved by an inscription dated in the 40th year of the reign of Parantaka I. discovered at Kūram which states that the Sabhā of the place met together during night in the küda of the Tiruvāypadi temple in the village. Unfortunately the inscription is so badly damaged that we are not able to understand clearly from what Tamains of it, the occasion that necessitated the convening of the body in the night. If the fragment in the same script published as a footnote to the inscription is connected with the record in question, this much may be gathered that the misbehaviour of an Accountant of the organization in making wrongful entries in the books which led the assembly to the payment of unnecessary taxes on lands that were lying waste, was the occasion for their meeting in the night. The assembly seems to have decided in this case that no member should render to, or receive from, the guilty accountant any kind of help and that if any one acted contrary to this decision he should be taken by the Sraddhāmantas before the dharmāsana and a penalty of 108 kanann of gold be obtained from him. Two other inscriptions, one of the time of Rajendradēva? and the other
18. 1. 1. (Texts), Vol. V, No. 1003. * A. 8. I., An. Rep. for 1904-05, pp. 131 ff.
[For a different view see above, Vol. XXII, p. 206.-Ed.)
.8. 1. 1. (Texta), Vol. VII, No. 412 of the time of Rajaraja I. (PeJrunguri-sabhaiyom innāļal pagal nammur brahmasthanattu chaturalai Rajarajanilēy niramba perunguri kūdi-yirundu; and No. 549 of 8. I. I. (Texta), Vol. IV, dated in the 6th year of Rajakesarivarman : pagal ivvur tiruchchitrakudattey dharmi-beydu perunguri katta kuraivara kkadi-yirundu and Xos. 414 and 423 of 8.1.1. (Texte), Vol. VII. Ibid., Vol. VII, No. 35.
Ibid., p. 15. No. 180 of 1919 of the Madras Epigraphical Collection.
