Nagaram Assembly Administration Gleaned By Incerptions

Abstract

Temples were the pivots of all human activities during ancient and middle ages. The temples occupied a very important place in the social, economic, religious cultural and administration life of the people.  The monarchs of Tamil Country the Pallavas, the Pandyas, the Cholas, the Vijayanagar rulers the chieftains and so on followed the art of erecting structural temples from seventh and eighth century onwards. The members of the royal families, queens the traders and administrative officials also played a prominent role in temple constructions, renovations, enlargement, patronisation and administration. Gifts were offered to all temples from all the irrespective of traders and trade guilds. Gift of villages, gift of gold, gift of lands, ornaments, money and livestock were common endowments of the traders and trade guilds. Apart from the rulers, the chieftains and the administrative officials, the merchants, the trade guides,   made liberal contributions to the temples, which are attested by the epigraphs. This paper throws light on Nagaram, the traders urban settlement and nagaram assembly in a detailed maner.