South Indian Polity (Review)

Summary

This review evaluates T. V. Mahalingam’s scholarly work South Indian Polity, published in the Madras University Historical Series. The reviewer notes that the book is one of the most important contributions to the series, providing the first critical and comprehensive account of the political institutions of the Hindu states south of the Vindhyas from the earliest times to the fall of the Vijayanagara Empire around 1650. Mahalingam’s study draws on a wide array of sources, including archaeological evidence, indigenous literature in Sanskrit, Tamil, Telugu and Kannada, and accounts by Greek, Chinese and Arab writers, as well as modern scholarship. In the introductory chapter the author addresses fundamental questions concerning the influence of geography and social organisation on political institutions. Subsequent chapters analyse the branches of South Indian administration, including kingship, councils, secretariat, revenue and expenditure, law, justice and police, military organisation, provincial administration, and local government. The reviewer summarises Mahalingam’s discussions on limitations on royal power, the composition and functions of advisory councils, land‑revenue assessments, tax burden and its implications, and the nature of feudal relationships in Vijayanagara. The book also compares the ‘nāyankāra’ system of Vijayanagara with feudal systems in medieval Europe and discusses debates over the ownership of soil. While praising the author’s exhaustive research and balanced judgement, the reviewer offers criticisms. He questions Mahalingam’s downplaying of cultural exchanges between northern and southern India, noting that social and religious movements in both regions influenced each other from early times. The reviewer also points out inconsistencies in the author’s statements about the chronology and efficacy of village assemblies and criticises inaccuracies in certain interpretations of Dharmaśāstra texts. A long errata list is deemed incomplete. Despite these criticisms, the reviewer concludes that the book’s value is enhanced by a comprehensive index and that it stands as a major contribution to the study of South Indian administration.