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STATE AND ADMINISTRATION
359
in war were subjected to a number of indignities. We have seen, for instance, that Kumārapāla defeated and dethroned Vikramasimha Paramāra, a feudatory, and seated his nephew upon the throne. Sometimes, we find instances of feudatories throwing away the imperial yoke and becoming independent during the weak rule of their sovereign. Thus the Guhilotas became independent of the sovereign.3 Several princes of the Nadol branch of the Cāhamänas and Kacchapaghăta Mūladeva of Gwalior, a feudatory of the Candellas, may be mentioned here as examples.
VIII. District Administration :
Provinces or mandalas were divided into a number of districts called 'vişaya'. The head of the vişaya was naturally called vişayapati or vişayi* or probably, rājyacintakas in the Jain inscriptions. The headquarters of the visaya was known as mahasthāna, or pattana. The vişayapati collected government revenues and other cesses and maintained peace and order within his jurisdiction. The officers of the police department, known as dandapåśikas or coroddharanikas, probably worked under the directions of the district officers. Leading persons or important representatives of the visayas and towns as mahā janas, vi pras and gosthikas assisted district officers in the work of administration. The visayapati represented the king and hence he is called rajasthaniya in the inscriptions. The details of the district administration were looked after by a body of officers each in charge of a Department and most probably working under the control of the District Magistrate. The Kalvan Jain plates of Yaśovarman of the time of Bhoja Paramāra mention some of the heads of Departments and officers like the selaka (officer-in-charge of weapons ), the grāmataka (officer-in-charge of the administration of the village as a whole), gokulika (superintendent of cattle stations), caurika (police officer-in-charge of thieves and robbers ), saulkika (superintendent of tolls and customs), dandapāśika (chief of the police) pratirājyika?, mahattama (the head or the oldest men of a village), kutumbins
1 Ibid. 2 Ibid.
See supra, p. 172. • Jain Lekha-sangraha, I, p. 119, No. 804. 5 Jain Lekha Sangraha, I, p. 238, No. 899: Teres haga
Dr. Bhandarkar, however, takes this term to mean a person looking after the administration of the kingdom. EI., XI, p. 53.
6 EI., XI, pp. 305, 310. 7 Ibid.
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