From Chiefdom to Kingdom and Empire: Trajectories of State in South India

This article seeks to trace the journey of the state in South India under the Cō？as. They begin as chiefs in a relatively undifferentiated society. It was the proximity of the kinsmen with the chiefs or otherwise that determined the relative status of different sections of society and not differentiation on account of unequal access to resources and surplus at this stage. However, changes in the means and relations of production, especially the introduction of non-kin labour for purposes of agricultural production, brought about major changes in the social order. This changed order required the institution of the state, and the emergence of the Cō？a kingdom in the Kāvēri valley can be shown as a response to this demand. Further elaboration and refinement enabled the Cō？a state to graduate to the level of an empire; but since the parts too were coming of age, this empire fell apart in about a century. By the close of the thirteenth century, the Cō？a kingdom fell prey to the Hoysala invasions and became already a thing of the past, but with vivid memories recounted in legend and song