Any discussion on Indian democracy and elections is incomplete without a mention of the Uthiramerur inscriptions. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi commenting on its significance in his speech at the foundation-laying ceremony of the proposed new Parliament building, Uthiramerur and its inscriptions once again came into the limelight.
This oft-quoted classic inscription is from the times of Parantaka Chola (920 CE). It describes in detail the code of conduct for holding local body elections. We learn from the inscription that for the ease of administration, the settlement was split into 30 wards and governed by a local village assembly. The assembly in turn was constituted into committees for monitoring the water bodies, agricultural land, gold trade, etc.; these offices were overlooked by an annual committee. The aged and experienced among the selected members constituted the annual committee.
The crux of the documentation is the elaborate definition of the eligibility of contestants and this selection process makes the Uthiramerur inscription unique and special. Any resident between 35-70 years of age who is well versed in the Vedas, proficient enough to teach others, owning a minimum-sized plot with a house on it (to ensure his connect with the place!), of commendable repute and clean character, a dutiful taxpayer with no debts, well-disciplined and with administration skills was allowed to express interest in contesting. However, persons from the previous tenure who had not submitted their accounts, those who had accepted a bribe or were known for misappropriation of property, and those who had worked against the interests of the village and caused hindrance to public life were all debarred for life from contesting. More interesting to note is that the immediate relatives of a disqualified person too were not allowed to contest in the village assembly election!
The inscription talks of a fair and transparent election process involving sealed ballot boxes that are received in the main assembly hall in the village square. This structure is a raised platform and has existed since the Pallava period. The western and southern sides of this platform are where the inscription is etched as a royal order. The selection event was to be attended by the young and the old. The names of all contestants etched on individual palm leafs were collected into a pot and brought to the assembly.
All priests, with no excuse allowed, had to be present and the eldest one received the ballot picked out by a child from the village. The name on the selected leaf was read aloud and attested by all members of the priest council individually. The candidate thus selected was appointed to the committee that was appropriate for his qualifications for a said tenure of 360 days. This constitution-like framework also had provisions to remove a person in office if he was found guilty. The individual was removed at once and the committee that functioned to “supervise justice”, assisted by an arbitrator, would conduct another selection through the prescribed process. Establishing criteria such as age, educational qualifications, economic backing and conduct was the chief feature that made this a welcome model that ensured able and corruption-free governance.
But Uthiramerur had a predecessor! Almost a century earlier, a similar qualification process existed in an ancient settlement near Tirunelveli to appoint members of local courts. Manur, as it is known now, is referred to as Maananilainallur in the ninth century records during the reign of Pandya Parantaka Nedunchadaiyan (8th–9th century CE). Some of the stipulations quoted here are different from the Uthiramerur inscription. To start with, the judges and hearers to be appointed had to be well-versed in the dharma sastras, the code book of rights and duties. Next, the Manur policy restricts the hearers from exiting a session in between.
The inscription says that the sravani puguvar (hearers) shall not be permitted to serve or ordered to serve for a quarter, half or three-fourth of the hearing. While owning a piece of land in the village was a prerequisite for the hearers, it is interesting to note that it should be ancestral and not earned through wedding as a gift. Probably the village grew in size accommodating more migrants and the initial settlers wanted to keep the administration away from outsiders in the interests of the former. The village sabha in Manur from the 9th century CE seems to have enjoyed the privilege of formulating its own court. To put it simply, this reflects on the self-sufficient nature of the settlements that were bound by deep knowledge and disciplined lifestyle and followed a path of righteousness.
At this point, the author would also like to point out an equally important inscription (in fragments) from the temple town of Tirunindravur near Chennai that speaks about local body elections. This 10th century CE inscription, probably etched on a temple column, is now carelessly buried like a fencing stone block near the shed that houses the temple car of the Bhaktavatsala Perumal Koil. Documented in the 20th century, the inscription does not mention the name of the king in whose reign the order was passed. However, going by the palaeography of the document and its similarity with the Uthiramerur inscription in terms of content, one can safely conclude it is from the 10th century CE, Chola era. The inscription speaks about the villagers using the pot ballot system to choose the members for the local court (judges and hearers) and various organisational committees to look into the general administration and development. The selected members serve a tenure of one year, following which, along with immediate family members, they cannot contest the next two terms. A maximum of five such opportunities would be given to an individual in his life-time. Any violation of the said rules shall invite a fine of 25 kalanju of gold!
This half-buried stone column with fragments of an inscription etched a thousand years ago stands witness to the fair and just practices of a past millennium. The author wishes the concerned authorities act immediately to protect this rare and invaluable “fencing stone”.
Madhusudhanan Kalaichelvan
Architect, serves on the govt-instituted panel for conservation of temples in TN
(madhu.kalai0324@gmail.com)