In terms of administration of Pratiharas, much of the Gupta Empire's (3rd century CE - 6th century CE) and Harshavardhana's ideas and practices were retained. The king was supreme and was assisted by a number officials. Many minor kings and dynasties ruled as vassals of the king and were expected to be loyal, pay a fixed tribute to the king, form matrimonial alliances with the royal family, and supply troops when needed. Some areas were administered directly by the centre and were divided into provinces (bhukti) and districts (mandala or vishaya). In this article, we will discuss the Administration of Pratiharas which will be helpful for UPSC exam preparation.

Administration of Pratiharas

• In Gurjara-Pratihara history, the king held the highest position in the state and wielded enormous power; kings were given titles like 'Parmeshwara,' 'Maharajadhiraja,' and 'Parambhaterak.'
• The appointment of samantas, as well as signing on grants and charities, were all works of the kings.
• The samantas used to provide military assistance to their kings and fight for them. In matters of administration, the advice of the high officers was followed.
• Inscriptions from that time period, however, make no mention of mantriparishad or ministers.
• The entire state was divided into many bhuktis. Each bhukti had many mandals, and each mandala had several cities and villages.
• As a result, the Pratiharas divided their empire into various administrative units.
• The samantas were known as Maha samantahipati or Maha Pratihara. The villages were managed on a local level.
• The village elders were known as Mahattar, and they were in charge of the village administration.
• Gramapati was a state officer who provided advice on village administration.
• The administration of the city was handled by councils known as Goshthi, Panchakula, Sanviyaka, and Uttar sobha in the Pratiharas' inscriptions.

Types of Officers in the Administration of the Pratiharas

In the administration of the Pratiharas, there are eight different types of officers, such as:

• Kottapala, the fort's highest officer.
• Tantrapala, the king's representative in the Samanta states.
• Dandapashika was the police chief.
• Dandanayaka was in charge of the military and the justice department.
• Dutaka delivers the king's orders and grants to specific individuals.
• Bhangika was the officer in charge of drafting charitable and grant orders.
• Vynaharina was most likely a legal expert who gave legal advice.
• Baladhikrat was the army chief.

Economy in Pratihara Empire

• Agriculture was the backbone of the Pratihara Empire's economy. During the Pratihara Empire, the royal household and the army received the majority of government funding.
• The Pratihara Empire's economy was primarily based on agricultural production. As a result, the tax derived from the majority of agricultural production was the primary source of government revenue at the time.
• Standing armies garrisoned on the frontiers supplemented the feudal levies due from subordinates to the Gurjara king. Such a system strongly implied the use of money.
• Large permanent military forces necessitated the regular disbursement of pay or expenses in the form of ready cash.
• The types of money required to meet two conditions: sufficiently high value units to be easily transportable from point of collection to point of disbursement, and sufficiently low value units to meet individual soldiers' modest salary or expenditure levels.

Trade in Pratihara Empire

• In terms of the economy and trade in the Pratihara Empire, Arab travellers from the ninth and tenth centuries described a variety of trade goods originating in various parts of the subcontinent and transported to market by a variety of pack animals.
• Indeed, the horse has been one of the most consistently demanded trade items.
• Historians have also confirmed that during the time of the Gurjara-Pratihara Empire, there was an active exchange of products within Indian kingdoms as well as between these states and the rest of the world.
• The types of coins used during that time period were also mentioned by Arab geographers.
• Several archaeological findings support the existence of a regular and widely used medium of exchange in the Gurjara-Pratihara dominions during the ninth and tenth centuries. Inscriptional evidence confirms this surmise.
  • In C.E 905-6, King Bhoja distributed coins known as drammas, according to an epigraph from Bharatpur.
  • From 902 to 967 C.E., the Siyadoni inscription from Jhansi District recorded a number of individual donations to temple deities.
  • The Vigrahapala Dramma and the Adivardha Dramma are two notable coin denominations.
  • The Gurjara-Pratihara dominions appear to have had no gold coinage.
  • The smallest purchases were made with copper, which was the dominant medium of exchange at the time.

Conclusion

Gurjara Pratiharas ruled over an empire that included parts of modern-day Gujarat, Rajasthan, Malwa, and the Ganga basin from Punjab to Bihar at various times. As a result, the Pratihara administration was quite efficient. The Pratiharas were able to defend India from Arab attacks because of their efficient administration.