Question

The most important feature of the Chola administration was the autonomous local self-government. Analyze

Answer 1

Approach:

• Give a brief about chola administration.
• Talk about local self-government of chola’s and define various groups at local level.
• Explain why they were unique.

The Cholas had three major administrative divisions called Central Government, Provincial Government and Local Government.The most important feature of the Chola administration was the local administration at districts, towns and villages level. Uttaramerur inscriptions speak much about the Chola administration. Village autonomy was the most unique feature of Chola administrative system. There was a remarkable autonomy at the village level. Chola officials participated in village administration more as observers than as administrators.

There were three assemblies called the ur, sabha or mahasabha and nagaram.

• The ur was a general assembly of the village. The ur consisted of all the tax-paying residents of an ordinary village. The ur open to all male adults but was dominated by the older members.
• The sabha was apparently an exclusively Brahmin assembly of the brahmadeya villages. The sabha had more complex machinery, which functioned largely through its committees called the variyams. Election to the executive body and other committees of the ur and sabha appears to have been conducted by draw of lots from among those who were eligible.
• The nagaram was an assembly of merchants and were found more commonly in the trading centers.

The sabha possessed proprietary rights over communal lands. It also controlled private lands of the villages. It reclaimed forest and waste land. It aided in the assessment of the produce and land revenue. It collected land revenue and had the power to sell the land in question, in cases of default. I also had the powers of taxation for purposes connected with the village and of remission of taxation for specific reasons.
The Chola kings followed a highly efficient system of’ administration. The entire Tanjore district, parts of Trichy, Pudukottai and South Arcot districts formed the part of’ the Chola Mandalam. The Uttaramerur inscriptions of the Chola monarch Parantaka I of 919 A.D. and 921 A.D gives details about the functioning and constitution of the local sabha.