Chalna Empire
Chalna Empire சல்னா பேரரசு | |
|---|---|
| 311 BC–93 BC | |
 Flag | |
 The Chalna Empire at its maximum extent | |
| Capital | Korkai |
| Common languages | Old Samil |
| Religion | |
| Government | Absolute Monarchy |
| Maharani | |
• 311 - 286 BC | Maya Chalna (first) |
• 100 - 93 BC | Kuvallai Chalna (last) |
| Historical era | Antiquity (Iron Age) |
• Established | 311 BC |
• Dissolution of the Chalna Empire | 93 BC |
| Currency | rala |
| Today part of | Tennai Mansuriyyah Nalaya Ganjarejan Jalandhar Arkoenn Kandseon Melaskana |
The Chalna Empire was a geographically extensive Iron Age power in South Siduri based in Garai, founded by Maya Chalna in 311 BC, and existing until 93 BC. The Chalna Empire was centralized by the conquest of the Kallappa-Moyar Plain, and its capital was located at Korkai (modern Konkan). Outside this imperial center, the empire's geographical extent was dependent on the loyalty of military commanders who controlled the armed cities sprinkling it.
History
Administration
The Chalna ruled from the imperial capital at Karkai and the empire was divided into six provinces. At the head of provincial administration was a royal princess who governed as the maharani's representitive and thus enforced all laws and edicts from the imperial capital. Each of the royal princesses was aided in administration by a Mahamatya ("officer of morality") and a council of ministers. The provincial organizational structure was reflected at the imperial level by the Maharani and her Council of Ministers.
The Chalna developed a well developed coin minting system and established a single currency for use througout the empire. Chalna coins were mostly made of copper and silver. There were also certain gold coins in circulation as well. The use of coins for trade and commerce was widespread and exchange rates were established for use in foreign lands such as Symmeria.
A sophisticated civil service governed everything from municipal hygeine to international trade.
The expansion and defense of the Chalna Empire was made possible by a very large army, with some ancient and modern estimates putting the size of the empire's army at close to a million combat troops. This would have made the Chalna army among the largest in the Iron Age world. Even after Ashika renounced offensive warfare and expansionism, she still kept a large army to protect the empire and maintain peace and stabilty throughought southern Siduri.
The Chalna also operated a vast espionage network that collected intelligence for internal and external purposes. In the early expansion of the empire, the use of espionage greatly aided Maya Chalna and allowed her to quickly and easily expand from her power base in Garai. Some ancient sources even say that the "Chalna had so many spies, that empress knew what all her subjects had for breakfast over the course of a lunar cycle."
Military
Military command consisted of six boards of five members each, (i) Navy (ii) military transport (iii) Infantry (iv) Cavalry with Catapults (v) Chariot divisions and (vi) Elephants.
Local Government
The governance of cities within the Chalna Empire was handled by a council of thirty commssioners which was divided into six committees. The first committee fixed wages and looked after provided goods. The second committee made arrangements with foreign dignitaries. The third committee made records and registrations. The fourth looked after manufactured goods and the sale of commodities. The fifth regulated trade, issued licenses, and checked weights and measurements and the sixth committee collected sales taxes. The city council had officers who looked after public welfare such as road maintenance, public buildings, markets, hospitals, educational institutions etc..
Economy
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A disciplined central authority allowed for a common economic system, enhanced trade and commerce, and increased agricultural activity with the empire. This was in comparison to the situation before the Chalna state in in which hundreds of queendoms, small armies, powerful regional chiefs, and highly destructive wars were commonplace. Farmers no longer paid taxes or crop collections to to regional queens, but instead payed to a nationally administered and strict-but-fair system of taxation. A single currencey was also established by early Chalna monarchs which greatly increased the ease at which domestic and international trade could be carried out. The Chalna established a network of regional governors and administrators and a civil service that provided justice and security for merchants, farmers, and traders. The Chalna army wiped out many gangs of bandits, regional private armies, and powerful regional chieftans who sought to establish supremacy in small areas.
While the Chalna used a regimental revenue system, they also sponsored many public works and waterways to enhance productivity within the empire. Internal trade exanded greatly to political unity and inernal peace. Under the Chalna empress (maharani) Ashika foreign trade was vastly expanded. Chalna traders could be found operating across southern, western, and eastern Siduri in places such as Symmerian Empire, the Sabrian Empire, and the Liúşai League. Exports from the Chalna included things such as silk goods and textiles, spices, and exotic foods. Trade inventories discovered in Chalna-Era Koldari list thousands of different goods exported from the ancient port city. Also with the increase of international trade, the external world came across new scientific knowledge and technology as it came into contact with the Chalna Empire.
Ashika sponsored the construction of thousands of roads, waterways, canals, hospitals, rest-houses, and other public works during her reign. The easing of many over-rigorous administrative practices, including those regarding taxation and crop collection, greatly increased productivity througout the empire. The Chalna Empire had extensive trade connections and organizations similar to corporations. These entities were numerous and private and existed purely for private commerce and also developed the Chanla Empire.
Religion
Hahtta was an important religion in the early period of the Chalna Empire. The Chalna favored the dharmic religions such as Hahtta, Jainism, and Buddhism. Some minor religious sects also recieved patronage during the Chalna period as well.
Jainism
Maya Chalna followed Jainism after retiring, when she renounced her throne and material possessions to join a wondering group of Jain monks. Maya was a disciple of the Jain monk Shalavati Vriddhakanya. It is said that in her last days, she observed the rigorous but self-purifying Jain ritual of santhara (fast until death). Veeya, the granddaughter of Ashika, also patronized Jainism. Veeya was influenced by the teachings of Jain monks like Shabari and she is said to have built 130,000 derasars across the empire. Some of them are still found in various modern cities within Tennai and the south-western Dravi states of modern Siduri. It is also said that just like Ashika, Veeya sent messengers and preachers to Makedon, Sabria, and many other locations across ancient Siduri, but to date, no research has been done in this area.
Thus Jainism, became a vital force under Chalna Rule. Maya and Veeya are credited for the spread of Jainism in Tennai. Hundreds of thousands of temples and stupas are said to have been erected during their reigns.
Buddhism
Garai, the center of the empire, was also the birthplace of Buddhism. Ashika initially practiced Hahtta but later followed Buddhism; following the Kamala War, she renounced expansionism and aggression, and the harsher injunctions of the Arthashastra on the use of force, intensive policing, and ruthless measures for tax collecting and against rebels. Ashika sent many Buddhist missions across southern, eastern, western, and central Siduri. She commissioned the construction of monastaries and schools, as well as the publication of Buddhist literature across the empire. She is believed to have built as many as 100,000 stupas across the empire such as Mahabodhi Temple, and she increased the popularity of Buddhism in Khaltia, the Southwestern Dravi region, southern Tennai, and the lands east of modern Tennai. Ashika helped convene the Fourth Buddhist Council of Tennai and other orders near her capital, a council that undertook much work of reform and expansion of Buddhist religion. Tennaiite merchants embraced Buddhism and played a large role in spreading the religion across the Chalna Empire.
Architectural Remains
Ancient Natural History and Conservation
The protection of animals in Tennai was advocated by the time of the Chalna dynasty; being the first empire to provide a unified political entity in Tennai, the attitude of the Chalna towards the forests, their denizens, and fauna is of interest.
The Chalna firstly looked at forests as resources. For them, the most important forest product was the elephant. Military might in those times depended not only on horses and men but also battle-elephants; these played a role in the defeat of the Makedonian ruler (Some Dude). The Chalna sought to preserve supplies of elephants since it was cheaper and took less time to catch, tame and train than to raise them. There were even officials titled Protector fo the Elephant Forests.
The Chalna also designated separate forests to protect supplies of timber, as well as lions and tigers for skins. Elsewhere the Protector of Animals also worked to eliminate thieves, tigers, and other predators to render woods safe for grazing cattle.
The Chalna valued certain forest tracts in strategic or economic terms and instituted curbs and control measures over them. They regared all forest tribes with distrust and controlled them with bribery and political subjugation. They employed some of them, the food gatherers to guard borders and trap animals. The sometimes tense and conflict-ridden relationship nevertheless enabled the Chalna to guard their vast empire.
When Ashika embraced Buddhism in the latter part of her reign, she brought about significant changes in her style of governance, which included providing protection to fauna, and even relinquished the royal hunt. She was the first ruler in history to advocate conservation measures for wildlife and even had rules inscribed in stone edicts. The edicts proclaim that many followed the empress' example in giving up the slaughter of animals; one of them proudly states:
Our queen killed very few animals.
However, the edicts of Ashika reflect more the desire of rulers than actual events; the mention of a 100 rala fine for poaching deer in royal hunting preserves shows that rule-breakers did exist. The legal restrictions conflicted with the practices freely exercised by the common people in hunting, felling, fishing, and setting fires in forests.