Administrative System of Cholas Dynasty

This Presentation is prepared for Graduate Students. A presentation consisting of basic information regarding the topic. Students are advised to get more information from recommended books and articles. This presentation is only for students and purely for academic purposes. The pictures/Maps included in the presentation are taken/copied from the internet. The presenter is thankful to them and herewith courtesy is given to all. This presentation is only for academic purposes.

1. Administrative System:
Under the Cholas
Dr. Virag Sontakke
Assistant Professor
Center for Advanced Studies
Department of A.I.H.C. & Archaeology,
Banaras Hindu University

2. Administrative System:
Under the Cholas

3. Introduction
•ImportantdynastyofSouthIndia
•Oneofthelongest-rulingdynastiesinthehistoryofSouthIndia.
•FirstreferencefromAshokanedict.
•TheheartlandoftheCholaswasthefertilevalleyoftheKaveririver.
•CholaswereabletoestablishcontroloverPallavaterritoriesandsubdued
thePandyapower.
•CholaswerethefirstwhobringtheentireSouthIndiaunderacommon
rule.
•Uttaramerurinscriptionsthrowslightontheadministrationofthe
Cholas.

4. •EarliercapitalwasUreryur
•LatercapitalwasTanjaur
•ThenGaingaikondCholpuram
•Kanchiwassub-capital

5. Kingship
•TheCholagovernmentwashereditarymonarchy.
•Thekingwastheheadoftheadministration.
•ThekingwasreferredtoasChakravartigal(Emperor)andthelordofthethreeworlds(Tribhuvanachakravarti).
•Thekingwasthesupremecommander.
•TheCholakingsandQueenswereconsideredasrepresentativesofGod.
•Theiridolswerekeptintemples.
•TheeldestsonsucceedthekingtotheCholathrone.
•TheheirapparentwascalledYuvaraja.
•TheCholamonarchsenjoyedenormouspowersandprivileges.
•TheCholakingstookuptitleswhichmarkedtheirachievements.
•Theylivedinverybigroyalpalaces.
•Kingswereassistedbyministersandofficialsintheiradministration.

6. Role of King King
Supreme executive
Legislative
MinistersOfficers
Judicial powers Military

7. Council of Ministers
•Noclearevidenceofacouncilofministers.
1.Purohita(Dharmopadesta),
2.Rajagurus,
3.Tirumandiraolai,
4.Adhikari,
5.Vayilketpar(officerwhonotedtheking'sdirectives)etc.
6.Udankuttanwaslikeking'scompanionofhonour.

8. High Officials
•Kingwaslivinginhighpalaces
•Chau-Ju-Kua:Atspecialoccasionsministersandcrownpricesgivehigh
respecttotheKing
•Priestwasenjoyedhighposition
•Olley(ओलै):Specialofficertohelpthekinghewasdraftinghisorder
•Olleynayagam(ओलैनायगम):wasinspecttheseorder
•HighofficialswereknownasSherutartam(शे+तरम)
•LowerofficerswerecalledasVelam(वेलम)
•CholainscriptionsmentionedKakani(ककाणी):Auditandrevenueofficer
•ThehigherofficialswerecalledPeruntaramand
•ThelowerrankofficialswerecalledSiruntaram.

9. Government Division
Administration
Central Government
Provincial Government
Local Government

10. Central Government
•TheCentralGovernmentwasundertheheadshipoftheKing.
•StateorProvinceswassecondadministration
•ProvinceswasdividedintoMandalas
•Generallymandalamswerenamedaftertheoriginalnamesorthetitlesof
theCholakings.
•EachMandalamwasdividedintonumberofKottamsorValanadus.
•EachkottamwassubdividedintoNadu.
•Eachnaduwasfurtherdividedinto(Urs)villageswhichformpartofthe
lastunitoftheadministration.
•UttaramerurinscriptionsspeakabouttheadministrationoftheCholas.

11. Cholas Administration
Central Administration
Provincial Administration
Mandal
Administration
ValnaduAdministrationsKurram/Nadu Administration
Village Administration

12. Provincial administration:
•TheCholaEmpirewasdividedintonineprovinces.
•TheywerealsocalledMandalams.
•TheheadoftheprovincewascalledViceroy.
•CloserelativesofkingswereappointedasViceroy.
•TheViceroyswereinconstanttouchwiththeCentralGovernment.
•Viceroysreceivedordersfromtheking.
•Theysentregularreplytotheking.
•Theviceroyshadalargenumberofofficialstoassistthemintheworkofadministration.
•Theyalsohadarmy
•Theywerecollectionrevenues
•Maintainlawandorder

13. Division of Local Administration
१ 2ामVillage
२ नाड़%/कुर)म
Nadu (Blocks?)
३ वलनाड़%Valnadu(District ?)
४ मंडल
Commissionaires

14. Nadu
•Nadu was one of the important administrative units of the Cholas.
•Nadushad representative assemblies.
•The council of naduwas called Nattavai.
•The heads of the naduswere called Nattars.
•Naduswere mainly associated with Revenue
•Representatives of the Nattavaisand Nattarspromoted agriculture.
•They also took care of the protection of the people and tax collection.
•Probably, village administrative members were took part in Nadu

15. Local AdministrationUr
Sabha
Nagaram
Village
•Local Administration
was important setup
of Chola Government
•8-9thCentury local
administration was
quite evolved
•Uttaramerur
inscriptions speak
much about the
Chola administration.
•Village autonomy was
the most unique
feature of Chola
administrative
system

16. Urban centers (Nagaram)
•Nagaramarementionsastradecenters(urbancenters)ininscriptions
•MainlytraderslivedintheNagaram
•MammalapuramincriptionsmentionsfourNagaram;eachofithas100housesites
•TraderswerelookaftertheadministrationsofNagaram
•RajrajeshwaraTempleinscriptionssuggestthatNagaramhaspowertocollecttaxes
•Nagaramwascollectingtaxesfrom:
a)Fruits
b)Nuts
c)Saffron
d)Sugarcane
e)Goldsmiths
f)Shops
g)Salt
h)Elephants
i)Horsestables

17. Nagaram
•Nagaramsettlementwasatractwheretradersandothers(includingartisans)lived.
•"Aninscriptionof1036CE.fromChidambaramadistinguishesbetweennon-brahrnaninhabitantsofsuperiorstatus(kudigal)andthoseofinferiorstatus(kilkalanai).
•KudigalincludedtwomerchantgroupsSankarappadiyar(lowergroup)andVyaparin(highergroup)
•Othergrouporresidents
1.Vellas(cultivators),
2.Saliyar(clothmerchants)
3.Pattinavm(fishermen).
4.Taccar(carpenters),
5.Kollar(blacksmiths),
6.Tattar(goldsmiths)and
7.Koliyar(weavers)

18. Ur
•Ur term was used for Villages and Cities
•Probably administration set up for big villages or small cities
•Ur means Pur
•Ur was a General Assembly
•The committee of council was known as Aalunganam(आलुँगणम)
•Members of the Ur were documented the order and wrote it
•Members were paid in cash
•A few villages had two Ur
•1227 CE Shantamangalam, 1245 CE Kumarmanglam, Amankundi
village had 2 Ur
•Not much information

19. Village Administration
•ThelowestunitoftheCholaadministrationwasthevillageunit.
•TheentireresponsibilityofthevillageadministrationwasinthehandsofthevillageassemblycalledGramaSabha.
•Thevillageassemblieslookedafterthemaintenanceofpeace,tanks,roads,publicpondsrevenuecollection,judiciary,educationandtemples.
•Thevillageassemblieswereinchargeofthepaymentoftaxesduefromthevillagestothetreasury.
•Theyregulatedpublicmarketsandhelpedpeopleattimesoffamineandflood.
•Assembliesprovidedprovisionsforeducation.
•Thevillageassembliespossessedabsoluteauthorityovertheaffairsofvillages.
•Theymaintainedlawandorder.

20. Assembly: sabhaor Mahasabha
•Important administration of Village (अ2हार: 8ा9ण ब;ी)
•Council was called as Perugati
•Member of Council known as Perumakkal
•This was specially “Brahman” Council
•Chola inscriptions often mentions Council (Todamandalam&
Cholamandam)
•These “Brahman” Council was mainly ruled in Kanchiarea
•They has a complex administrative system
•Mainly ruled by various Executives committee called as Variyams

21. Variyams
•TwoofParantakaIfoundatUttiramerurprovidedetailsoftheformationandfunctionsofvillagecouncils.
•Thatvillagewasdividedintothirtywardsand
•eachwastonominateitsmemberstothevillagecouncil.
•Thequalificationstobecomeawardmemberwere:
1.Ownership of at least one fourth veliof land.
2.Own residence.
3.Above thirty years and below seventy years of age.
4.Knowledge of Vedas.
Norms of disqualification
1.Those who had been members of the committees for the past three years.
2.Those who had failed to submit accounts as committee members.
3.Those who had committed sins.
4.Those who had stolen the property of others.
Work:
1.From the persons duly nominated, one was to be chosen for each ward by kudavolaisystem for a year.
2.The names of eligible persons were written on palm-leaves and put into a pot.
3.A young boy or girl would take out thirty names each for one ward.
4.The committee members were called variyapperumakkal.
5.They usually met in the temple or under a tree and passed resolutions.
6.The number of committees and ward members varied from village to village.

22. Variyams(Executives committee )
•Compositionofthesevariyams,qualificationanddurationsofmembershipdifferedfromvillagetovillage.
•Thereweremanyvariyamsineveryvillage.
1.Niyayavariyam:Administeredjustice,
2.Thottavariyam:Lookedafterflowergardens.
3.TheDharmavariyam:Charitiesandtemples.
4.Erivariyam:Inchargeoftanksandwatersupply.
5.Theponvariyam:Wasinchargeofthefinance.
6.TheGramakariyavariyam:Lookedaftertheworksofallcommittees.
•Themembersofthesevarivamswereknownas“VarivaperumakkalTheyrenderedhonoraryservice.
•Thevillageofficialswerepaidsalaryeitherincashorinkind.
•GoodfunctioningofthesevariamsincreasedtheefficiencyofthelocaladministrationoftheCholas.

23. Nature of Mahasabha
•“TheMahasabhapossessedtheproprietyrightsovercommunallandsandcontrolledtheprivatelandswithinitsjurisdiction.
•Theassemblywastoseethatthecultivatorswerenotharassed.
•TheMahasabhawasalsoconcernedwiththereclamationofforestandwaterlands.
•Italsocollectedtherevenue.
•Disputesconcerninglandsandirrigationrightsweresettled
•Inspecialcases,assembly’sformtheneighbourhoodswererequestedtocooperateinarrivingatadecision.
•Italsoenjoyedpowersoftaxationandofremissionofsuchtaxationforspecificpurposes.
•Insteadofpayinglandrevenueeveryyear,alandownercouldcompoundallhisfutureduestothelocalandcentralauthority,bypayingafixedsumtotheassembly.

24. Revenue
•Land revenue
•Agriculture: main source, land survey 1/3
•Toll tax
•Forest
•Mines
•War-booties
•Taxes from bride and grooms
•Taxes from funeral ground
•Other taxes
1.Trees
2.Animals
3.Security
4.Nuts
5.Houses
6.Smiths
7.Shops
8.Carpenters

25. Military Administration
•Cholahadgreatmilitarypower.
•TheCholasundertookmilitaryexpeditiontoSriLanka(duringthetimeofRajarajaI)andSri-Vijaya(duringthetimeofRajendraI).
•ThisshowsthemilitarystrengthoftheCholastate.
•Itseemsthatthecavalrymen(Kudiraiccevagar),
•Anaiyatkal(thosewhofoughtonelephant),
•Archers(villigal,anukkar)werenameofthecategoriesconstitutingthemilitaryforce.
•StrongNavy
•Soldierswerealsorecruitedfromtheartisansgroup.Thesewerebasicallymercenarysoldiers.
•CholaMeykkirttisrefertoKantalurSalaiwhichhasbeeninterpretedasaneducationalinstitutionintheCherakingdomwhichimpartedmilitaryeducation

26. Judiciary System
•Justicewascarriedoutbythevillageassembliesthroughthecommittees
comprisingofNyayattar.
•ThecentralcourtofjusticewastheDharmasanawhichconductedits
affairsthroughDharamasanabhattas(Brahmansproficientinlaw).
•Itappearsthatcivilandcriminaloffenceswerenotdealtseparately.
•Thepenaltyforcrimecommittedbyapersonaffectingthekingorruling
dynastywasdecidedbythekinghimself.
•Severalmethodsofpunishmentprevailedviz.impositionoffines,capital
punishmentetc.

27. Conclusion
•Cholasystemofadministrationwashighlyorganisedandefficient.
•Properdivisionofgovernment
•De-centralisedoftheAdministration
•Welldevelopedvillageadministration
•Autonomousadministrations
•TheadministrationofCholawasbestallrounddevelopmentin
socio-economic,culturalandsuchotherconditions.