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POLITICAL HISTORY OF N. INDIA FROM JAIN SOURCES
feudal state was called samanta or mahasāmanta, maṇḍalika, maṇḍaladhipati, or also mandaleśvara.1
The etymological meaning of the word samanta is vicinity, which signifies nearness to the king's kinsmen and relatives or persons coming of such families as had rendered meritorious services in past or scions and representatives of dispossessed kingly families. In the Jain inscriptions and colophons of the MSS they are designated by various subordinate titles like mahārāja, mahāsāmanta, māhāsāmantādhipati, maṇḍalesvara, mahāmaṇḍaleśvara and mahamandalika and sometimes rāṇaka and thakkura. Sometimes they obtained the pancamahdsabda from the soverign. For instance the Devagadha Jain inscription informs us that the mahäsämanta Vigonurāma had been conferred the fañca-makāśabda by Bhoja Pratihara the ruler of Kanauj. Most of these titles represent certain grades of feudatories. They appear to be always territorial lords. They were usually required to acknowledge their subordinate position in the official charters they issued by mentioning the name of the suzerain first. We have several Jain inscriptions of the reign of Kumarapala and the Câhamana of Nadol where samantas are seen owning the suzerainty of their feudal lords. They also attended the imperial courts not only on ceremonial occasions but also at periodical intervals. Several Jain literary works describe the imperial courts crowded by feudatories who came to pay personal homage to the emperor.4
The samantas maintained small armies and, occasionally, supplied them. to their sovereign in the time of war and, sometimes, they themselves were employed in the military service and led the army in the battle and served also in the capacity of ministers.5 For instance, Yasodhavala, the Paramāra ruler of Candravati, supplied his army to his sovereign Kumarapala and led it to the battle of Kaunkana. A Jain colophon informs us that he also served. as a chief minister of Kumarapala for some time. Similarly, his two sons and grandsons served loyally the successors of Kumarapala with assistance of their military." Feudatories who rebelled and were defeated
1 EI., IV, p. 309 ff.; Vasanta-viläsa, pp. 12, 22; Jain Lekha-sangraha, I, p. 212. Ibid., IV, p. 309 ff.
Ibid., IV: Jain Lekha-sangraha, I. pp. 211, 251, EI., XI, pp. 43-46. Trisaṣṭisalakāpurusa-carita, I, V. 693; II, V. 6.
Tilakamañjarī, p. 63.
5 See supra, p. 195. Section on the Paramāras of Candravati.
• Ibid.
7 Ibid.
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