New Types of Kings

Chiefs and kings in the south:

• New kingdoms emerged in the Deccan and further south.

• These included the chiefdoms of the Cholas, Cheras and Pandyas in Tamilakam.

• Chiefs were powerful men who derived support from their relatives.

• They performed special rituals, led in warfare, and arbitrated disputes.

• They received gifts from subordinates and distributed them among their supporters.

• There were no regular armies and officials in chiefdoms.

Feudalism:

Samudragupt

• By the fourth century, there were larger states, including the Gupta Empire.

• Many of these states depended on powerful local men called samantas or Feudal lords who maintained themselves through local resources and offered gifts and military support to rulers.

• Powerful and ambitious samantas could become kings while weak rulers could become subordinate.

• Histories of the Gupta rulers were reconstructed from literature, coins, and inscriptions including prashastis composed in praise of kings and patrons by poets.

• Prayag Prashasti is one such example which was commissioned by Samudragupt and written by his war minister Harishena.