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350
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[NOVEMBER, 1907.
Of all the designations given in the above list, only one, vit., chát, the Sansksit chata, survives, or can, at least, with any certainty be said to survive in the modern language of the State. Within quite recent times an entirely different set of names was in use, but these are now nearly obsolete in their tarn and are being displaced even in popular use by designations borrowed from the British Revenue Codes,
But before describing the more modern or the present official titles it will be hest to note the names of the old administrative divisions. The ancient administrative division or unit was the mandala, 11 which corresponds to the more modern pargand. Popular belief holds that Chambâ was once divided into or comprised 802 of these mandalas, when it was larger than it is now. Even at annexation it contained 72 pargands, since reduced by amalgamating the smaller pargands to 52. Till recently the Bhattiyât or Bhatti wizarat contained 12 pargands and was accordingly known as the Barah Bhatian. These pargands are now grouped into 4 witdrats, corresponding to the tahsils or sub-collectorates of a British District. The wizdrats are, as the word itself indicates, of modern origin. It is perhaps worth noting that each pargand contained a State granary (koti) in which the revenue of the State, collected in kind, was stored, and in which the officials of the pargand lived.13 As a rule there is only one loghi in each pargand, but when the pargand consists of two or more amalgamated smaller pargands it possesses two or more kothis, each with its pahri, hali, and jhoti dr.
The officials at the capital were as follows:(1) Wazir, chief minister. (2) Tharelu da mahta, chief financial minister.
(3) Bakhshi, who used to keep the military accounts and was responsible for the internal administration of the State forces, 16
(4) Hdxri da kotwdi, magistrate in attendance on the Raja.
(5) Thare da kotwal, magistrate who performed miscellaneous duties and disposed of petty cases arising in the town.
For the outlying tracts spocial officials were appointed - watirs for Pangi and Barmanr wisdrats, and elsewhere a mahid and a kotwál for each pargand. The two latter posts were held by men appointed in the capital, whence they transacted all the business of their charges. Not annaturally these posts became all more or less sinecures.
The chief local officials varied in different parts of the State : -
In Chamba and Chaurah wizárats each pargani was in charge of a char, collector, a likhnahara, olerk, and a bhalwdl, porsonal assistant called collectively kardárs or kamdars. Of these
11 Mandal, . m. disk, oirole, ring.... region, country, district, province (extending 20, or, according to some. 40 yojanas in every direotion); the country over whioh the 12 prinses Chakravarti are supposed to have reigned.
1984 is almost certainly s conventional or Auspicions number: cf. Panjab Notes and Queries, I, 1884, G465, for the Tribal Collocations of 12 (BArab), 92 (BaiyA), 52 (Biwani), 84 (Chaurial) and 85 (Pachd.1) villages.
13 The kotha varied in size and appearance, but most of them were built on one plani a square structure, 20 or 30 yards long on each side, oonsisting of rooms surrounding an open court-yard. The buildings are usually two or three storeys high and divided into rooms and didns or halls. There is a principal entrance, and in the courtyard a staircase leading to the upper storeys. Some of the kothis are very ancient, several dating back even to the times of the Ranks whose rule preceded the foundation of the State itself.
14 Thara, high place, where justice was administered. Hence thareth, An attendant at the thara, an official whose functions are not more fully defined.
18 For the functions of the Bakhabi, so Irvine's Army of the Moghals in the Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society, 1893, p. 539.
