Which among the following was not a member of the Adhishthana Adhikara

Which among the following was not a member of the Adhishthana Adhikarana of Kotivarsha in the Gupta period?

Sarthavaha

Mahattara

Prathama-kayastha

Prathama-kulika

Answer is Right!

Answer is Wrong!

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UPSC CISF-AC-EXE – 2024

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In the Adhishthana Adhikarana (district headquarters council) of the Gupta period, the Mahattara was typically not one of the specific, named representatives constituting the board, unlike the Sarthavaha, Prathama-kulika, and Prathama-kayastha.

The Adhishthana Adhikarana at the Vishaya (district) level during the Gupta period was a council that included representatives from important sections of the local community, involved in administration, particularly in matters of land transactions. Key members explicitly mentioned in inscriptions were the Nagara-shreshthi (chief merchant of the city), Sarthavaha (leader of trading caravans), Prathama-kulika (chief artisan or head of craft guilds), and Prathama-kayastha (chief scribe or official).

‘Mahattara’ generally refers to village elders, headmen, or respected persons, and while they held influence, they were not typically part of the formal composition of the district-level council (Adhishthana Adhikarana) in the same defined roles as the Nagara-shreshthi, Sarthavaha, Prathama-kulika, and Prathama-kayastha who represented specific urban/economic/professional groups. The structure of the Adhishthana Adhikarana reflects a collaborative approach involving the administration and local elites/guild representatives.

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