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{{Main|Western Ganga Dynasty}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=January 2020}}
{{Use Indian English|date=January 2020}}
The '''Western Ganga administration''' (350 - 1000 CE) ({{lang-kn|ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ಗಂಗ ಸಂಸ್ಥಾನ}}) refers to the administrative structure that existed during the rule of this important dynasty of ancient [[Karnataka]]. They are known as '''Western Gangas''' to distinguish them from the '''Eastern Gangas''' who in later centuries ruled over modern [[Orissa, India|Orissa]]. The Western Ganga sovereignty lasted from about 350 to 550, initially ruling from [[Kolar]] and later moving their capital to [[Talakad]] on the banks of the [[Kaveri River]] in modern [[Mysore district]]. Later they ruled as an important feudatory to the imperial [[Chalukya dynasty|Chalukyas of Badami]] and the [[Rashtrakuta Dynasty|Rashtrakutas of Manyakheta]].

==Administration==

{{Karnataka History}}
[[File:Close up of a dravidian style shrine in Panchakuta Basadi at Kambadahalli.jpg|thumb|right|Panchakuta [[basadi]] of the 9th century at Kambadahalli]]
The Western Ganga administration was influenced by some principles in ancient text ''[[Arthashastra]]''. Succession to the throne was hereditary though there were instances when it was overlooked.<ref name="admin1">Kamath (2001), p46</ref> Though a feudatory of larger South Indian empires for most of their long rule, they wielded significant autonomy in local affairs.<ref name="admin1"/> The kingdom was divided into ''Rashtra'' (district) and further into ''Visaya'' (possibly 1000 villages) and ''Desa''. From the 8th century the Sanskrit term ''Visaya'' was replaced by the Kannada term ''Nadu'', example of which are Sindanadu-8000, Punnadu-6000,<ref name="admin2">Adiga (2006), p10</ref> with scholars differing about the significance of the numerical suffix. They opine that it was the revenue yield of the division computed in cash terms,<ref name="admin3">Rice in Adiga (2006), p15)</ref> denoted the number of fighting men in that division, the number of revenue paying hamlets in that division,<ref name="admin5">Sharma in Adiga (2006), p16</ref> and most popularly it may meant the number of villages included in that territory.<ref name="admin3"/> Further it has been suggested that for large territories such as Gangavadi-96000, the "thousand" suffix may have meant one ''Nadu'' and hence Gangavadi-96000 was Gangavadi with 96 ''Nadus''<ref name="admin6">Settar in Adiga 2006, p15</ref>

[[Epigraphy|Inscriptions]] have revealed several administrative designations such as prime minister (''sarvadhikari''), treasurer (''shribhandari''), foreign minister (''sandhivirgrahi''), chief minister (''mahapradhana'') all of whom also served as commanders (''dandanayaka''), royal steward (''manevergade''), master of robes (''mahapasayita''), commander of elephant corps (''gajasahani''), commander of cavalry (''thuragasahani''), superintendent (''antahpuradhyaksha''), chief guard (''mahapadiyara''), betel leaf carrier (''hadapada'' or ''adepa''), royal secretary (''rajasutradhari''), private secretary (''rahasyadhikrita''), archivist of records (''[[mahamatra]]'' or ''sasanadore''), survey official (''rajjuka''), accountant (''lekhaka'').<ref name="admin7">Kamath (2001), p47</ref> In the royal house, ''Niyogis'' oversaw palace administration, royal clothing and jewellery etc.; the ''Padiyara'' were responsible for court ceremonies including door keeping and protocol.<ref name="admin 29">Adiga (2006), p238</ref> Officials at the local level were the ''pergade'', ''nadabova'', ''nalagamiga'', ''prabhu'' and ''gavunda''.<ref name="admin8">Adiga (2006), pp161-177</ref>

The ''pergades'' were superintendents from all social classes; artisan, goldsmith, blacksmith etc. ''pergades'' dealing with the royal household were called ''manepergade'' (house superintendent), when they collected tolls they were called ''Sunka vergades''.<ref name="admin9">From the Kanatur inscription (Adiga 2006, p161)</ref> The ''nadabovas'' were accountants and tax collectors at the ''Nadu'' level and sometimes functioned as scribes.<ref name="admin11">From the Kanatur inscription (Adiga 2006, p164)</ref> The ''nalagamigas'' were officers who organized and maintained defence at the ''Nadu'' level.<ref name="admin12">From the Mavali inscription of the 8th century and Indravalli inscription (Adiga 2006), p165</ref> The ''prabhu'' constituted a group of elite drawn together to witness land grants and demarcation of land boundaries.<ref name="admin13">Doddakunce inscription, the Karagada and Maruru inscription (Adiga 2006, p167-68)</ref>

The ''gavundas'' who appear most often in inscriptions were the backbone of medieval polity of the southern Karnataka region. As landlords and local elite, the state utilized their services to collect taxes, maintain records of landownership, bear witness to grants and transactions and even raise militia when required.<ref name="admin17">Bedirur inscriptions of 635 (Adiga 2006, p168)</ref> Owing strong personal allegiance to the king, they were vested with certain rights over villages.<ref name="admin18">Adiga 2006, p173</ref> It appears the ''gavundas'' operated as corporations in the [[Kaveri River|Kaveri]] valley but as individuals in the northern and eastern domains of the Gangas. They had rights to make grants that may have been occasionally exempt of local taxes.<ref name="admin20">Adiga (2006), p176-177</ref> There were two types of ''gavundas''; the ''ur-gavundas'' who were lower in status and wielded control at the village level and the ''nadu-gavunda'' who oversaw the ''Nadu'' and were directly appointed by the king.<ref name="admin21">Adiga (2006), p20</ref>

Inscriptions that specify land grants, rights and ownership were descriptive of the boundaries of demarcation using natural features such as rivers, streams, water channels, hillocks, large boulders, layout of the village, location of forts (''kote'') if any in the proximity, irrigation canals, temples, tanks, even shrubs and large trees. Also included was the type of soil, the crops meant to be grown, tanks or wells to be excavated for irrigation.<ref name="admin22">From the Kumsi inscription of 931 and Doddahomma inscription of 977 (Adiga 2006, pp21-22, p27, p29)</ref><ref name="admin23">From the Mavali inscription and Indivalli inscription (Adiga 2006, p31)</ref> Inscriptions mention wet land, cultivable land, forest and waste land.<ref name="admin24">From the Devarahalli and Hosur copper plates (Adiga 2006, p33)</ref> There are numerous references to hamlets (''palli'') attesting to the hunter communities that existed (''bedapalli'').<ref name="admin25">From inscriptions and literary writings such as ''Vaddaradhane'' (920) and ''Pampa Bharata'' (940) (Adiga 2006, p36-37)</ref>

The size of land granted to the family of a hero who perished in defence of cattle raids was small compared to endowments made to heroes of inter-dynastic battles. These families received large tracts of land, hamlets or even villages in recognition of the sacrifice, the title held by the fallen hero at times passing on to the members of the family.<ref name="admin26">Adiga (2006), p184</ref> Feudal lords were military commanders who held the title ''arasa'' (from the 6th century onwards). These ''arasas'' were either Brahmins or from tribal background and controlled hereditary territories paying periodic tribute to the king.<ref name="admin27">Adiga (2006), p208</ref> The ''velavali'', loyal bodyguards of the royalty were fierce warriors under oath (''vele''). They moved closely with the royal family and were expected to fight for the master and be willing to lay down their lives in the process. If the king died, the ''velavali'' were required to self immolate on the funeral pyre of the master. Thus a close bond existed between the master and the ''velavali'' who was referred to as ''manemaga'' (son of the house)<ref name="admin28">Adiga (2006), pp233-234</ref>

==Notes==
{{reflist|33em}}

==References==
{{refbegin|33em}}
*{{cite book |last= Adiga|first= Malini|title= The Making of Southern Karnataka: Society, Polity and Culture in the early medieval period, AD 400-1030|orig-year=2006|year= 2006|publisher= Orient Longman|location= Chennai|isbn= 81-250-2912-5}}
*{{cite web|author=Arthikaje|title=The Gangas of Talakad|url=http://www.ourkarnataka.com/states/history/historyofkarnataka11.htm|publisher=OurKarnataka.Com|work=History of karnataka|access-date=2006-12-31}}
*{{cite news|author=Havalaiah, N|title=Ancient inscriptions|url=http://www.hindu.com/2004/01/24/stories/2004012407180300.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040218052747/http://www.hindu.com/2004/01/24/stories/2004012407180300.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2004-02-18 |access-date=2007-05-30|location=Chennai, India|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=2004-01-24}}
*{{cite book |last= Kamath|first= Suryanath U.|title= A concise history of Karnataka : from pre-historic times to the present|orig-year=1980|year= 2001|publisher= Jupiter books|location= Bangalore|oclc= 7796041 |lccn= 80905179}}
*{{cite web|author=Kamat, Jyotsna|title=The Ganga Dynasty|url= http://www.kamat.com/kalranga/deccan/gangas.htm|publisher=Kamat's Potpourri|access-date=2007-05-30}}
*{{cite book |last= Karmarkar|first= A.P.|title= Cultural history of Karnataka : ancient and medieval|orig-year=1947|year=1947|publisher= Karnataka Vidyavardhaka Sangha|location= Dharwar|oclc= 8221605 }}
*{{cite book |last= Keay|first= John|title= India: A History|orig-year=2000|year=2000|publisher= Grove Publications|location= New York|isbn= 0-8021-3797-0}}
*{{cite news|author=Khajane, Muralidhara|title=An ancient site connected with Jainism |url=http://www.hindu.com/2006/02/03/stories/2006020313510400.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080821015942/http://www.hindu.com/2006/02/03/stories/2006020313510400.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=2008-08-21 |access-date=2007-06-30|location=Chennai, India|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=2006-02-03}}
*{{cite book |last= Narasimhacharya|first= R|title= History of Kannada Literature|url= https://archive.org/details/in.ernet.dli.2015.489059|orig-year=1988|year=1988|publisher= Asian Educational Services|location= New Delhi, Madras|isbn= 81-206-0303-6}}
*{{cite web|author=Prabhu, Govindaraya S|title=Coins of Gangas|url=http://prabhu.50g.com/southind/ganga/south_gangacat.html|publisher=Prabhu's web page on Indian coinage|work=Indian Coins|access-date=2007-06-30}}
*{{cite book |last= Sastri|first= Nilakanta K.A.|title= A history of South India from prehistoric times to the fall of Vijayanagar|orig-year=1955|year=2002|publisher= Indian Branch, Oxford University Press|location= New Delhi|isbn= 0-19-560686-8}}
*{{cite book |last= Thapar|first= Romila|title= Penguin History of Early India: From origins to AD 1300|orig-year=2003|year=2003|publisher= Penguin|location= New Delhi|isbn= 0-14-302989-4}}
*{{cite news|author=Staff Reporter|title=Inscription reveals Bangalore is over 1,000 years old |url=http://www.hindu.com/2004/08/20/stories/2004082016400300.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040912144705/http://www.hindu.com/2004/08/20/stories/2004082016400300.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=2004-09-12|access-date=2007-06-30|location=Chennai, India|work=[[The Hindu]]|date=2004-08-20}}
{{refend}}

[[Category:Western Ganga dynasty]]

Western Ganga administration - Revision history

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