Administration Of The Pallavas: Governance and Structure

During the Pallava period (3rd to 9th centuries CE), the Pallava dynasty developed a sophisticated administrative system blending divine kingship and collaborative governance. The king, seen as divine, led with support from a council of ministers. District officers collaborated with local institutions, and land grants were central to governance.

Pallava Governance: Administration, Military, and Judicial Systems

1. Administration

• • Divine Kingship: Kingship was considered to be of divine origin and hereditary. The king took high-sounding titles like Maharajadhiraja (borrowed from north India), who was aided by a council of ministers. 
  • Some ministers bore semi-royal titles and may have been appointed from among the feudatories.
• Officials And Their Roles
• Amatyas: Counsellors
• Mantrins: Diplomats
• Rahasyadhikrita: Private secretary
• Manikkappandaram-Kappan: Treasury officer
• Kodukkappillai: Officer of gifts 
• Kosaadhyaksa: Treasury supervisor
• Pallava Queens: Pallava queens did not take an active part in the administration of the kingdom, but they built shrines, and installed images of various deities, and endowed temples.
• • • The image of Queen Rangapataka, the queen of Rajasimha, is found in the inscription in the Kailasanatha temple in Kanchipuram.
  • Collaborative Governance: District officers collaborated closely with local autonomous institutions and advised provincial governors.
  • Local groups based on castes, guilds, crafts, etc. formed the basis for autonomous bodies.
  • Policy Implementation was done through a meeting between district representatives and assemblies of villagers.
• Land Grants: Land ownership was vested in the king, who had the authority to grant revenue and land to officers and Brahmins. 
• Cultivation of Crown Lands: The most common practice was cultivating crown lands through tenants.
• Land Revenue Practices: Villages with mixed-caste populations were subject to land revenue payments.
• Brahmadeya Villages: were gifted to individual Brahmins or groups, exempting them from taxation and leading to increased prosperity.
• • Devadana Villages: were donated to temples.
  • Revenue: was directed to temple authorities rather than the state.
• Temple Authorities: The temple authorities assisted the village by providing employment in the temple service.
  • In later centuries, temples became central to rural life, elevating the significance of devadana villages.

B. Army

• State revenue was primarily allocated to maintain the standing army, with the King directly controlling the army, which included foot soldiers, cavalry, and a small contingent of elephants.
• Chariots were largely obsolete and ineffective in the hilly terrain where much fighting occurred.
• Cavalry was effective but costly, as horses needed to be imported.
• They established a navy and constructed dockyards at Mamallapuram and Nagapattinam. However, their navy was significantly smaller compared to the naval power of the Cholas.
• Sculptures at the Vaikunta Perumal temple in Kanchipuram depict significant events from the reign of Nandivarama Pallava, emphasising the importance of warfare in Pallava society.

C. Judicial Administration

• Adhikarna Mandapa: referred to Judicial courts.
  • Dharmadhikarins – Judges.
  • Fines: are mentioned in the Kasakudi plates of Nandivarman as: 
  • Karanadandam (fines in superior court).
  • Adhikaranadandam (fines at district level).
• Village Courts: also handled minor criminal cases. 
• Royal Authority: At a higher level, in towns and districts, courts were presided over by government officers, with the king as the supreme arbiter of justice.

D. Village Life

• Sabha: Village assembly, known as Sabha, dealt with various village matters, including land, irrigation, records, and crime. 
• Hierarchical Structure: Sabha was subordinate to the district council, which worked with Nadu or district administration.
• Sabha and Urar: Sabha was a formal institution but closely collaborated with the urar (an informal village gathering).
• Village Headman: served as a link between the village assembly and official administration.
• Brahman: populated villages maintained records on assembly and council operations.

Tank Irrigation

• Eripatti: or tank land, was a unique category of land found exclusively in South India.
• Community Donations: It was donated by individuals, and the revenue generated from this land was reserved for maintaining the village tank. [UPSC 2016]
• Significance of Tank: The tank was crucial for storing rainwater to irrigate the land during prolonged dry spells.
• Community Effort: The tank, lined with brick or stone, was built through the cooperative effort of the village, and its water was shared by all cultivators. 
  • A special tank committee appointed by the village oversaw the irrigation water distribution.
• Irrigation Management: Water was distributed by canals fitted with sluices to regulate the water level and prevent overflowing at the source.

Conclusion

The Pallava administration was marked by a unique blend of centralized authority and decentralized governance. With a focus on divine kingship, collaborative decision-making, and innovative land revenue practices, the Pallavas established a stable and prosperous administrative system that contributed to their long-standing influence in South India.

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