Vishaya
| Author:Laxman Burdak, IFS (R) |
Vishaya (विषय) was a unit of Administration in ancient India. According to Monier Williams it means a dominion, kingdom, territory, region, district, country, or abode and in plural it meant lands or possessions. The visaya usually corresponded with the district of the modern administration. [1]
Vishaya and Janapada
Tej Ram Sharma[2] writes about Vishaya (विषय) - According to Monier Williams it means a dominion, kingdom, territory, region, district, country, or abode and in plural it meant lands or possessions. [3] In the Astadhyayi [4] it denotes regions or provinces, called after their inhabitants, e.g. Saiba, the region of the Sibis ; Malavaka, the region of the Malava people; Rajanyaka, of the Rajanya tribe and so forth. 'The names according to Visaya seem to be based on the ethnic distribution of population over particular areas for the time being without reference to the form of government'. [5]
The word Visaya in the sutra Visayo dese [6] is significant. Jainendra, Sakatayana and Hemacandra take it as rastra, and Vardhamana as Janapada. The Kasika takes it as grama-samudaya. Katyayana and Patanjali interpret Visaya as being identical with Janapada in some cases, but their comments give the impression that even such geographical units as were
[p.214]: not a janapada were called Visaya. [7]
If Visaya and Janapada had been identical, Panini would not have treated the former under a separate heading. [8] A Visaya denoted both a bigger unit having the status of a Janapada, and a smaller area which was but an estate. In the Rajanyadi gana, visaya denotes janapadas, while in the Bhauriki and Aisukari ganas, [9] it is landed property, the share of estate which was the source of livelihood.
In the post-paninian period, distinction between Janapada and visaya was lost, both being called by the same names, for example Angah, Vangah, Sumhah, and Pundrah. In some Jana-padas like Rajanya, the distinction was retained, as Rajanyaka denoted a visaya and Rajanyah, the Janapada of the Rajanya tribe. Similarly we have Vasatah, Vasatayah ; Gandharah, Gandharayah ; and Saibah, Sibiyah. Other smaller units were only visayas or estates like Bailvavanaka, Atmakameyaka, Bhaurikavidha and Aisukari-bhakta. [10]
The visaya usually corresponded with the district of the modern administration. [11] Minor bhuktis, mandalas and the visayas were used to denote the same administrative division in many cases. [12] The district administration was well organised in the Gupta period. Some of the land-grant charters bear the seals of the district administration. [13] Sealings of the district administration of Rajagriha and Gaya have been found at Nalanda, showing that their correspondence to outsiders bore the impress of their official seals. [14]
Mention by Panini
Vishaya (विषय) is mentioned by Panini in Ashtadhyayi. [15]
List of Vishaya by Panini
V. S. Agrawala[16] mentions Vishayas known to Panini as under:
(4) Aishukari Gana (ऐषुकारि गण)
(IV.2.54)1. Aishukari (ऐषुकारि) 2. Sarasyayana (सारस्यायन) 3. Chandrayana (चान्द्रायण) 4. Dvayakshayana (द्वयाक्षायण) 5. Tryakshayana (त्र्याक्षायण) 6. Jaulayana (जौलायन) 7. Khadayana (खाडायन) 8. Sauvira (सौवीर) 9. Dasamitrayana (दासमित्रायण) 10. Shaudrayana (शौद्रायण) 11. Dakshayana (दाक्षायण) 12. Shayanda (शयंड) 13. Tarkshyana (तार्क्ष्यायण) 14. Shaubhrayana (शौभ्रायण) 15. Vaishvamanava (वैश्वमाणव) 16. Vaishvadhenava (वैश्वधेनव) 17. Vaishvadeva (वैश्वदेव) 18. Tandadeva (तंडदेव)
External links
References
- ↑ V.S. Agrawala, India as Known to Panini. p. 498
- ↑ Personal and geographical names in the Gupta inscriptions/Place-Names and their Suffixes,p.213-214
- ↑ Sanskrit-English Dictionary by Monier Williams. p. 997, Col. I : from वि+सि to extend.
- ↑ IV. 2.52-54
- ↑ V. S. Agrawala, India as Known to Panini. p. 37.
- ↑ IV. 2.52.
- ↑ V.S. Agrawala, India as Known to Panini. pp. 497-98.
- ↑ IV. 2.52-54.
- ↑ IV. 2.54.
- ↑ IV. 2.54.
- ↑ V.S. Agrawala, India as Known to Panini. p. 498
- ↑ R.C. Majumdar, The History of Bengal. Vol. I, p. 23.
- ↑ Indian Antiquary, Bombay. 1910, p. 195, 204.
- ↑ Memoirs of the Archaeological Survey of India. No. 66, p. 45, ff.
- ↑ V. S. Agrawala: India as Known to Panini, 1953, p.35, 495, 496
- ↑ V. S. Agrawala: India as Known to Panini, 1953, p.498
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