Later Gangas Mandali Thousand

Author(s): Nagarajaiah Hampa
Publisher: Ankita Pustak

Page 85

42 / The Later Gangas : Maņdali-Thousand
Edadore with his son kallisetti, who had two sons Balla-gāvunda and Boppa-gävunda. Kallisetti succeeded his father Goyisetti as the chief of merchants. Kallisetti alias Goydusetti was elevated to the position of pattanasetti (Sh. 88. 1203). He was the 'Vaddavyavahäri' of the beautiful Mandali-Thousand (Sh. 36 and 40. 1180. pp. 44 and 46). The epithet Vaddavyavahāri is generally used in the sense of the chief of the merchants of a particular place or region or guild; even the senior merchants are referred to as Vaddavyavahāri or Vaddabevahāri [SII. ix-i. 177 1108; EC. II. 235. 1185; MAR 1946. 31. 1314]; a derived (corrupted) word from the Sanskrit Vrddhavyavahārin. Perhaps this is below the status of Pattanasetti, chief of the merchant guild, with a state-recognition, where as the “Rāja-śreşthi” royal merchant, is the highest and a royal recognition.
Thus, the ascending order of the mercantile hierarchy would be like the merchant community chief Vaờdavyavahäri, the great merchant Pattaņasetti and finally Rājasreșthi. There are only two instances of Pattanasetti in the Mandalinād, that of Barmmisetti and Goydusețți. The feudatories were permitted to recognise the chief of merchants and declare the pattana-setti status, whereas the recognition of a Rāja-śreşthi status was the privilege of the 'rāja', the king above the mahāmandalesvaras. Therefore, there were no rāja - śreşthis in the Mandalinād. There were chamberlin (mane-verggade) and steward (bānasa verggade), besides a bureaucracy comprising of various grades. Offices of the Mandalinād were hereditary and they were remunerated by assignments of land, suited to their position, in the hierarchy; they were also rewarded with titles of honour.
A reasonable land revenue and tolls on goods in transit was collected to the exchequre; confiscation of property or arbitrary unusual imposts is not reported, instead instances of exemptions are recorded. Building a temple or to endow a monastery or construction of a tank, was not only the act of merit but also road to social eminence and public recognition. Though the Mandalinad was a vassal state, the chief enjoyed autonomy to an extent that he could alienate villages without the imperial sanction. The