CHENNAI: Revenue administration holds the key to any public administrative set up in a country. Nowadays, the documentation works are made easy and time-saving with the availability of electronic gadgets, particularly computers. However, during a period when electronic equipment were even beyond the imagination of science fiction writers, there existed a perfect system of revenue administration.
The Chola regime had a flawless revenue administration, for which the treasure trove of copper plates discovered, early in the current decade, from Thiruvindalur located near Mayiladuthurai in Nagapattinam district, lend credence.
According to Dr N Marxia Gandhi, noted epigraphist, “86 leaves of copper plates with inscriptions, both in Tamil and Sanskrit languages, found at Thiruvindalur, reveal the exemplary system of the revenue administration and flawless land documentation during the rule of the Chola kings.”
The copper plates deal in greater detail with two grants of land during the rule of two Chola monarchs -Rajadhiraja I and his brother Rajendra II - the land site commonly named as Agara brahmadeya Sri Rajendra Chaturvedi Mangala to Brahmins well-versed in Vedas and Sastras. Land was donated for community service as well.
The inscriptions on the copper plates revealed a unique feature of description of lands donated to each and every village beginning with whole measurement and the extent of arable land deducting the public purpose lands, says the former Deputy Superintending Archaeologist, Marxia Gandhi, who was part of the team that deciphered, edited and published the charter.