The Mediaeval Period
Part IV

One of the striking features of Gondvana administration was the absence of hereditary officers like Deshmukhs and the Deshpandes so common in Berar. The only hereditary officer in Gadha-Mandla was the registrar or acountant called beohar or sometimes gumasta who was always a kayastha. Beohar is quite likely the corrupt form of the Sanskrt word uyayahara. In the semi-feudal semi-tribal Governments these hereditary officers were absent.

In devagad and Chanda, the original basis of Government is the same as in Gondvana. The Rajas were little more than feudal superious of a number of petty chiefs. Their dependants contributed to them military service. The Rajas like other feudatories possessed a territorial domain in which they exercised direct authority.

With regard to the land revenue system of Devagad i.e., Bagpur and Chanda there were officers known as Deshmukhs, Deshpandes, Hudars, Muharirs and Waradpandes. The Marathas soon after the occupation of Devagad and Chanda removed the Deshmukhs and the Deshpandes, and changed the name Hudar to Kamavisdar-general manager, and Muharir or accountant to Phadnavis. They however, retained the office of the Waradpande who had his deputies all over the country to keep the account of actual cultivation. Occupancy and rents of lands. The office of the Priti under the Gonds corresponded to that of the Phadnavis of the Marathas.

This highly centralized administration through the Deshmukhs, Deshpandes, Hudars etc., in the Gondavana appears an anomaly. It was certainly common in Berar. But its presence in some parts of devagad Kingdom would mean that it was found there by the Gond Rajas already existing when they conquered it. In other words. The system of administration by Deshmukhs and Deshpandes in some parts of Gondavana i.e., Devagad was remnant of the previous khalsa or centralise system and was continued by the Gond when they conquered it. The Marathas, when they conquered the Gondi kingdoms of Devagad and Chanda, therefore, found in some parts the administration by Deshmukhs and Deshpandes not in fact indigenous to Gondavana. It may be noted here that in Devagad above the ghats the real home of the Devagad Maharajas which forms part of the present Chindavada distric, administration by Deshmukhs and Deshpandes was unknown. Again, as late as 1801 A.D. the pathan jagirdar of sivani (seoni) maintained a feudal state owing allegiance to the Bhosles of Nagpur as his overlord.