Explanation:

Chola officers participated in village affairs more as advisers and observers than as administrators. The Chola pattern of government was based more or less on democratic principles and most of the business was carried on by the popular assemblies. The most important assemblies were of four kinds: 1. The Nattar was the assembly of a whole district or Nadu and decided all the cases pertaining to that unit. 2. The second popular assembly was nagarattar which was an assembly of the merchants and traders and looked after trade and commerce. Ur was the general assembly of the village where local residents discussed their matters without any formal rule or procedure. 4. The Sabha or Mahasbha was the most popular assembly where only the selected few and elders of the village took part and carried on the business by following a regular procedure. It wielded a great authority in the administration of the rural areas. The Cholas did not believe in centralization of the administration, on the other hand they had allowed vast powers to their local units. The Kurrans or unions of villages enjoyed self-government and were allowed vast powers. The famous Uttaramerur Inscriptions of 919 and 929 A.D. of the period of Parantaka gives details of how the local self-government and village administration functioned.