753 CE–982 CE

Public Administration of the Rashtrakutas

Between c. 753–975 CE, the political history of the Deccan was dominated by the Rashtrakutas dynasty which produced many kings who were great warriors and able administrators. Both in the north and the south, the Rashtrakuta's military triumphs were spectacular. They acquired the name Rashtrakutas because before their ascendancy as independent rulers, they were designated officers in charge of administrative divisions called Rashtras under the Chalukyas of Badami. Dantidurga (c.735–c. 756 CE) was the founder of the dynasty and Manyakhet near modem Sholapur was their capital. The Rashtrakuta Empire expanded during the reigns of Krishna I (756 - 774), Dhruva (780 - 793), Govind III (793 - 814), and Amoghavarsha I (814 - 878), Indra III (914 -929), Krishna III (939 – 967). At the peak of their power, Rashtrakutas governed a vast empire that extended from the Ganges and Yamuna River doab in the north to the southernmost tip of India at Kanyakumari.^[1]

The Rashtrakuta records provide us glimpses of their able civil administration and which give a fairly detailed account of the government machinery and its working. The king was the absolute ruler and source of all authority. He used high-sounding titles like Paramesvara, Paramabhattaraka, and Maharajadhiraja to add to his dignity. His office was hereditary and the throne usually passed to the ablest son rather than the eldest son, who was formally announced as Yuvaraja or the heir-apparent, when the king became sufficiently old and not able to discharge the duties of the office. The actual work of the administration was carried out by the ministers and officials stationed at different administrative units of the empire. Under the Rashtrakuta, the ministry consisted of a prime minister, a foreign minister, a revenue minister, the commander-in-chief, a treasurer, the chief justice, and the purohit or principal priest.^[2]

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