Agrahara Grants

   The earliest mention of these grants is to be found in the context of Harsha's administration (606-646) where salaries of the officials were often paid through revenue-free land grants. The agrahara grants were restricted to Brahmans, which indicated their privileged position. Often an entire village of Brahmans would enjoy a grant of this nature, which under the Cholas (10th to 13th centuries) came to be called brahmadeya. Although the ruler had the authority to resume these grants, generally the recipients were allowed to hold them in perpetuity. The agrahara grants, like those given to secular functionaries in lieu of salaries or as rewards for service, tended to weaken the authority of the king by creating new intermediaries.