(i) The king was the supreme commander and a benevolent dictator. He issued oral commands to responsible officers when representations were made to him. Such orders were recorded in great detail in the inscriptions, on the walls of temples.

(ii) A powerful bureaucracy assisted the king in the tasks of administration and in executing his orders.

(iii) The Chola bureaucracy was highly organised in nature. A careful balance between central control and local independence was maintained and non-interference in local government was very important.

(iv) There was a definite hierarchy of the bureaucracy and the tomere of the officials simply depended on the 'Crown's pleasure.

(v) One of the important officers were the revenue official responsible for the receipts and expenditures of the government.

(vi) Every village was a self governing unit A number of such villages constituted a Kurram or nadu or Kottam in different parts of th country.

(vii) Taniyur was a large village big enough to be a Kurram by itself. A number of Kurrams constituted a Valanadu. Several Valanadus made up one Mandalam, a province. At the height of the Chola Empire there were eight or nine of these provinces including Sri Lanka. These divisions and names underwent constant changes throughout the Chola period.

(viii) The administration of a common village UR or Oor was different from that of a village gifted to Brahmins.

(ix) Revenue officials were also responsible for the purchase of land on behalf of village assemblies. They also attested and certified important documents drawn up by local government agencies such as village councils. They also acted as magistrates.

(x) Besides the tax collected by the central government, several local bodies enjoyed the privilege of collecting tolls and other important charges.

(xi) Justice was mostly a local matter in the Chola Empire, where minor disputes were settled at the village level.

(xii) Crimes of the state such as treason were heard and decided by the king.

(xiii) Village assemblies exercised large powers in deciding local disputes. Small committees called Nyayattar heard matters that did not come under the jurisdiction of the voluntary village committees. The punishments in most cases were in the form of donations to the temples or other endowments. The convicted person would remit their fines at a place called Darmadesana.

(xiv) There was no distinction between civil and criminal offences. civil disputes were allowed to drag on until time offered the solution. Crimes such as theft, adultery and forgery were considered serious offences. In most cases the punishment was in the ordr of the offender having to maintain a perpetual lamp at a temple. Even murder was punished with a fine.