PARANTAKA I - "Uttaramerur Model of Democracy- Foundational model of India's democracy”

India is often referred to as the “Largest Democracy in the World” and the “Mother of Democracy”. True to the Affirmations, India does have a Great Tradition for Democracy.

The Principles of Democracy were inscribed into the Indian Political System which evolved in the Post Gupta Era/Golden Age.

If, as Montesquieu said, "the germs of Constitutional Monarchy are to be found in the Forests of Germany, those of Representative Democracy can be found in Ancient Indian Republics like Malla and Vajji." 

The Imperial Cholas and the Democratic Edifice

• Among the Great Powers that ruled Southern part of India from the close of the Sixth Century CE. The Pallavas, The Pāndyas, The Cholas and The Chalukyas were the most Important powers.
• Parantaka Chola I had a significant influence during his reign as the ruler of the Chola dynasty. His influence extended to various spheres, including political, military, cultural, and economic.
• Parantaka I was a skilled and able ruler who expanded the Chola empire through his military campaigns and conquests. He brought several territories and kingdoms under Chola's control which included parts of the Pandya kingdom, the Kongu region, and the Chera kingdom. His successful military expeditions consolidated the Chola dynasty's dominance in South India and established their authority over a vast area.
• The Cholas can be termed as an expansive power which conquered Ceylon (Sri lanka) and Indonesia and ruled half of the Former for over half a Century during ancient ages. And the Chola Empire internally was a Democratic Structure. Its villages were autonomous Self-Governing units administered by the elected representatives of the state. 
• The Empire of cholas was divided into Six Mandalams (Provinces), each constituted by a number of Kottams(Districts), each of these again Consisting of Several Kurrāms.

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Uttaramerur

 It is situated in present-day Kanchipuram district, southeast of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. Over the years, Uttaramerur was successively governed by the Pallavas, Cholas, Pandyas, Sambuvarayars, Vijayanagara Rayas, and Nayaks.

Significance of the Uttaramerur Inscription (920 A.D.)

Uttaramerur contains multiple inscriptions, with the most important one dating back to the period of Parantaka I (907-953 AD). This particular inscription on the walls of the village assembly (mandapa), provides comprehensive information about the functioning of the elected village assembly during that time. According to scholars, village assemblies might have existed before the time of Parantaka Chola, but it was during his rule that the village administration underwent significant refinement and became a well-operating system through the implementation of elections and assemblies.