briefly describe the chola administration
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The Chola Administration System
The Chola administration system was very well organised and efficient. The administration of Chola dynasty was essentially monarchical in character where the king was at the helm of the administration and all executive legislative and military powers rested with him.
A council of ministers and other high officials were there to advice the king for administration of Chola Empire. Even the princes of Chola dynasty were to associate with the ruling king and were actively employed in war and peace. Since the Chola empire was a big one there were many administrative divisions for the efficient working of the government.
The Chola Administration system did not had any central assembly either to assist the kings of Chola Dynasty in making policy or to help in day to day administration of the state like the Maurya administration. Since there was no central Assembly of the Vedic character, the king was alone responsible for efficient administration of the Chola Empire. The was a body of executive officers in the immediate and constant attendance of the king. Each department was represented by a group of officers. They were possibly personal staff rather than regular council of ministers. Rather they worked as liaison officers between the king and the bureaucracy.
The absolutism of the monarchy was tempered both by a ministerial council and by an organised administrative staff, the heads of the departments being also in close contact with the king, and often consulted by him. Royal towns also contributed to the efficiency of the Chola administration and the officers were paid by land assignments, and honored and encouraged by titles. Moreover the verbal orders were drafted by the Royal or Private Secretary. It is believed that in the days of Rajaraja I and his son Rajendra Chola Deva, the Chief Secretary and another higher functionary officers had to confirm the royal orders before they were communicated to the parties concerned by the dispatch clerk. known as Vidaiyadhikari. Finally the local governors scrutinized the orders before they were registered and sent to Departments of Archives for preservation.
The Chola empire known as Rajyam or Rastrayam was divided into a number of provinces or Mandalam. The most important Mandalams were placed under the charges of the Viceroys who were generally the Princes of the royal blood or of noble families. We came to know that Rajaraja, the great, divided his empire into about eight Mandalams. Chola Princes were in the charges of the provinces of Vengi and Madura. Some of the provinces were formed of such principalities as had been annexed by the Chola imperialists. Besides there were the territories of the vassal princes, who paid tribute and rendered service to the Crown in times of needs. The provinces or Mandalams were subdivided into number of divisions known as Kottams or Valanadus. The next administrative subdivisions of Cholas were the districts (Nadus), each of which again consisted of a number of autonomous villages, unions or groups of villages, playing a vital part in the Chola administration system.
Though there was corporate activity in the economic and religious life and in the territorial divisions like Nadus and Nagarams or towns, there is ample evidence to show that these divisions had their own popular assemblies during the period of Chola ascendancy which exhibited the greatest and most comprehensive group activity. First we hear of the assembly of the people of the whole Mandalam in connection with the remission of certain taxes on land under its jurisdiction. Next the inscriptions refer to the ‘Nattar’ assembly of the people of a Nadu or district, and ‘Nagarattar’ or assembly of the mercantile groups which went by the generic name ‘Nagaram’. These two terms perhaps corresponded to the Janapada and Paura respectively. Unfortunately the details or their constitution and working are unknown. Besides local administration was greatly facilitated by the existence of guilds or ‘Srenis’, ‘Pugas’ and such other autonomous corporate organisations in which persons followed the same craft or calling binding themselves together.
The Chola administration system was very well organised and efficient. The administration of Chola dynasty was essentially monarchical in character where the king was at the helm of the administration and all executive legislative and military powers rested with him.
A council of ministers and other high officials were there to advice the king for administration of Chola Empire. Even the princes of Chola dynasty were to associate with the ruling king and were actively employed in war and peace. Since the Chola empire was a big one there were many administrative divisions for the efficient working of the government.
The Chola Administration system did not had any central assembly either to assist the kings of Chola Dynasty in making policy or to help in day to day administration of the state like the Maurya administration. Since there was no central Assembly of the Vedic character, the king was alone responsible for efficient administration of the Chola Empire. The was a body of executive officers in the immediate and constant attendance of the king. Each department was represented by a group of officers. They were possibly personal staff rather than regular council of ministers. Rather they worked as liaison officers between the king and the bureaucracy.
The absolutism of the monarchy was tempered both by a ministerial council and by an organised administrative staff, the heads of the departments being also in close contact with the king, and often consulted by him. Royal towns also contributed to the efficiency of the Chola administration and the officers were paid by land assignments, and honored and encouraged by titles. Moreover the verbal orders were drafted by the Royal or Private Secretary. It is believed that in the days of Rajaraja I and his son Rajendra Chola Deva, the Chief Secretary and another higher functionary officers had to confirm the royal orders before they were communicated to the parties concerned by the dispatch clerk. known as Vidaiyadhikari. Finally the local governors scrutinized the orders before they were registered and sent to Departments of Archives for preservation.
The Chola empire known as Rajyam or Rastrayam was divided into a number of provinces or Mandalam. The most important Mandalams were placed under the charges of the Viceroys who were generally the Princes of the royal blood or of noble families. We came to know that Rajaraja, the great, divided his empire into about eight Mandalams. Chola Princes were in the charges of the provinces of Vengi and Madura. Some of the provinces were formed of such principalities as had been annexed by the Chola imperialists. Besides there were the territories of the vassal princes, who paid tribute and rendered service to the Crown in times of needs. The provinces or Mandalams were subdivided into number of divisions known as Kottams or Valanadus. The next administrative subdivisions of Cholas were the districts (Nadus), each of which again consisted of a number of autonomous villages, unions or groups of villages, playing a vital part in the Chola administration system.
Though there was corporate activity in the economic and religious life and in the territorial divisions like Nadus and Nagarams or towns, there is ample evidence to show that these divisions had their own popular assemblies during the period of Chola ascendancy which exhibited the greatest and most comprehensive group activity. First we hear of the assembly of the people of the whole Mandalam in connection with the remission of certain taxes on land under its jurisdiction. Next the inscriptions refer to the ‘Nattar’ assembly of the people of a Nadu or district, and ‘Nagarattar’ or assembly of the mercantile groups which went by the generic name ‘Nagaram’. These two terms perhaps corresponded to the Janapada and Paura respectively. Unfortunately the details or their constitution and working are unknown. Besides local administration was greatly facilitated by the existence of guilds or ‘Srenis’, ‘Pugas’ and such other autonomous corporate organisations in which persons followed the same craft or calling binding themselves together.
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The Chola Empire had been divided into administrative units namely the Central Government, the local Government, and provincial Government. The administration was presided by the king resided.
- The kings of Chola followed an effective governance system.
- The Chola Mandalam was constituted by the entire district of Tanjore, parts of the districts of 'Trichy, Pudukottai and the South Arcot.
- Under the King's leadership the Central Government, the Council of Ministers and officials engaged actively in the functioning of Central Government administration. The higher officials were called Peruntaram, while the lowers one were Siruntaram.
- The Empire Chola was divided into nine provinces and was also called mandalams. The provincial head was appointed viceroy. Named viceroys were personal relatives of kings. The Viceroys had been in close communication with the Central Government.
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