Indian Antiquary Vol 60

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 232

204
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
(NOVRBER, 1931
ATHABHAGIYE. BY A. VENKATASUBBIAH,
(Continued from page 170.) 17. Sampige inscription (XII, p. 40), dated 19th September 1331, recording the grant by the Hoysala BallAla III of a tax-free village to Singe-setti: f-catus-sims-volagulla gaddebeddalu f-Sampigege salva halligaļu adarolagulla ka e-kirukattegaļu cepabhoga-lejassvdmyanidhi-niksepa-jala-pápána-siddha-addhya-aksini-Agami púruiya-apurvaya tappe-taudi-kirukula-sthana-manyav-o!agági samasta-bali-sahitavagi d-Sampigeya sthalavann.....sarvamányavági, i.e., 'the village Sampige tax-free, with gadde, boddalu, large and small tanks and hamlets comprised in its four boundaries, with aftabhoga-tejassvdmya, nidhi, nikaepa, jala, pásána, siddha, sidhya, akrini, agdmi, former and new revenues and the revenues from all taxes including tappe, laudi, kirukula, and athana-manya (1)
Of these inscriptions, Nos. 1-4, it will be seen, record grants of tax-free villages only. The term sarvamánya is used in all four to denote the idea 'tax-free.! Other words used in Kannada inscriptions to denote the same idea are umbali or umbalige, kodagi, sarva-namasya and agrahara ; and the words sarva-bidha-parihara too have perhaps the same sense. The number of published inscriptions which record such grants (of tax-free villages only), and in which one of the above-mentioned words is used, is fairly large.
Nos. 5-10 record grants of tax-free villages and also of the rights known as affabhoga [-tejassvdmya), which comprise among others the right to nidhi, nikpopa, jala, pdedra, akorini, dodmi, siddha and addhya, all or some of which terms are mentioned in them. Nos. 11.13, too. record the grant of the same rights with tax-free villages; but the term asfabhoga Coleja esimval is not used in these inscriptions. The grants of tax-free villages made by the Viiayanagara kings and the majority of their governors and feudatories and successors in the territories ruled over by them all belong to this class; that is, they make over to the donees not only tax-free villages but the asabhoga or asfabhoga-tejassvámya also, either explicitly mentioned by name or otherwise described. The number of such grants is very large and exceeds three- or four-hundred.
Nos. 14-17 record grants of tax-free villages with apgabhoga-tejassvdmya and also of the revenues derived from other taxes named. The number of published inscriptions registering such grants, too, is fairly large.
It is clear from the above-cited inscriptions that the grant of a tax-free village does not by itself carry with it the right to nidhi, niksopa, eto., known as de tabhoga [-lejassvdmya). Nor, on the other hand, does the grant of the rights known as agfabhoga-tejasevimya in connection with any village imply, of itself, that such village too has been granted tax-free, and as a matter of fact, we find grants of astabhoga-tejaseudmya made in two inscriptions in coaneotion with villages that were not tax-free. One of these inscriptions which is at Govindanahalli (Ep. Carnatica, IV, p. 176 ff.) and is dated 6th May 1236, records the grant to some Brahmanas by the dandandyakas Bogaiyya and Mallaiyya with the permission of their master, the Hoy. sala king Somesvars, of the asabhoga-tejassamya in connection with the village Tenginakatta, which too was granted to them, not however tax-free, but subject to the payment of 100 gadydra as quit-rent every year. The other is a Bangalore copperplate inscription (ibid., vol. IX, p. 3 ff.), dated 1st March 1253, and records the grant to some Brahmaņas by the above-mentioned king Somesvars of the adabhoga-tejasadmya in connection with two
gadydqan 100nu kapp-grattage-pindaddnaodpi yend-endigend aramanege lette bondgi prasiddha-olma somancitamappa tonna keddalapalli salita Teinginakapapamu astabhoga-tjaeredmyo-nidhi-nikada-salita dhardpuruakaopi kotaru, 'They granted with pouring of water (the villago) Tonginakatta with its well-known boundaries and eleven hamlow together with the aptabhoga-lejasaydmya, nidhi and nikpepa (with the obligation that the doncco) should pay to the palace for over the rum of 100 padydpa as quit-rent (every year).'