30 Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal. [N.S., XII, 



Orissa underwent much change. But their basis, the mahals, 

 though increased in number, were not radically changed. 

 Hence in checking and identifying the Ain's list considerable 

 help has been obtained from the list of parganas supplied to 

 the British at the time of their occupation. 1 



General Remarks. 



The Madala, Panji reveals that the basic unit of the 

 administration was the ga JSansk. grama) or village. The 



3 had a headman, padhana (Sansk. pradhana, the head), 

 an accountant, Bhoi (Sansk. bhumika), and a watchman, 

 Dandoasi (Sansk. danda-vasika, staff-holder). 2 Through these 

 the revenue was collected and order maintained. A number of 

 villages were grouped under an administrative subdivision, 

 called generally Bisi (Sansk. Visaya) and a subdivision al head, 

 Bisoi (Sansk. Visayi). This general name for the subdivision 

 was sometimes changed to Khanda (tract), as in WestKatak, 

 Caura or Caura (meaning probably a tract cleared), as in North 

 Balasore and South Midnapur, or Bhum (land) as in West and 

 North Midnapur. The suffix Mutha of several parganas in east 

 Midnapur (Hijili) is not found either in the Madala Panji or in 

 the Ain, and is therefore more recent. 



The next higher step in the fiscal arrangement was the 

 Dandapata (division). It consisted usually of a number of 

 Bisis, Khandas, Cauras, etc. It covered generally a consider- 

 able tract of the country and corresponded to the Sanskrit 

 Bhukti used in Bengal and Mithila. Occasionally a Dandapata 



had no Bisis. 



The country was essentially rural. The only town life 



traceable was in some sacred tlrthas or in some headquarters of 

 the king. The principal tlrthas or places of pilgrimages 

 usually formed head- quarters of the king when he toured over 

 his territory. All these stations were called Kataka, a Sanskrit 

 word meaning camp. In inscriptions we come across the 

 following Katakas : Purusottama, Krttivasa, VaranasI, 

 Remuna, Rauhatta, Narayanapura, Devakuta To these the 

 Madala Panji adds Asika, Khurdha, Cauduara, Jajapura. 



At each Kataka the king had generally a masonry building 

 for his residence. The most imposing of such edifices was at 

 VaranasI Kataka. This town appears to have been the capital 

 of the later Gangas and their successors, and was kept by the 

 YTusalmans as their chief head-ouarters in Orissa. 



1 This information is summarised in Sheristadar J. Grant's Analv>i 

 and Review of the Bengal Finances (1787), published as Appendix III to 

 the Fifth Parliamentary Report, 1812. I quote from the Madras Reprint, 



1883. 



2 A Dando-ast Ohora (watchman's tax) is mentioned in an Ofiya in- 

 scription of the .Jagannatha temple, J.A.S.B. . 1893, p. 01. 



