In medieval India, the designations 'Mahattara' and 'Pattakila' were used for

Seals and inscriptions list many non-standard military and court designations (e.g., baladhikrita, mahabaladhikrita, mahapratihara), showing that regionally specific titles were commonly used.

A student could search regional seals/inscriptions for the specific words Mahattara or Pattakila (or linguistic variants) because such sources often preserve local titles.

The snippet emphasises that official ranks named in seals have uncertain meanings and could be hereditary or linked to offices (e.g., kumaramatya), illustrating that titles did not always map clearly onto modern categories like 'military officer.'

A student could examine occurrences of Mahattara/Pattakila in lists of amatyas/officials to see if they co-occur with known military offices.

Specific military officer titles are attested (e.g., Brihadisvaras for cavalry, Baladhikritas for infantry), showing that medieval sources often use specialized terms for different military roles.

A student could check whether Mahattara or Pattakila appear in contexts describing army divisions (elephants, cavalry, infantry) to infer a military function.

The term 'Nayak' is cited as a regional military leader title (Telugu/Kannada areas), indicating that titles for military commanders varied by region and language.

Using regional scope as a guide, a student might look for Mahattara/Pattakila in inscriptions or records from particular linguistic areas (e.g., Tamil, Kannada, Telugu) where unique military titles appear.

The Maratha military system modelled on earlier systems and used specific ranks and recruitment modes, showing continuity and adaptation of military nomenclature across periods.

A student could trace whether Mahattara/Pattakila show up in later or regional military records (e.g., Deccan, Maratha sources) as adapted or surviving titles.

Explicit reference to 'vithi-mahattaras' and a mahattara heading an ashtakula-adhikarana shows 'mahattara' functioned as an official title in village-level administration.

A student could check geographic and chronological context of the Damodarpur copper plate (reign of Budhagupta) and compare with other inscriptions to see where 'mahattara' appears as a local headman title.

Lists many local village-level office titles (kamunda, pokigan, karana/gramani, mahajanam, mahapurush), indicating a pattern of diverse regional terms for village officials.

Use this pattern to infer that less-common terms like 'Pattakila' might be regional variants; a student could search regional sources or maps (south/north, language zones) for cognates.

Mentions gramani and a council of village elders and names of officials in multi-tier administration, illustrating that villages used both appointed and elected functionaries with varied titles.

Combine this administrative pattern with linguistic knowledge (e.g., Sanskritic vs. Dravidian forms) to test whether 'Pattakila' could be a local variant of a known office.

Describes the functions of 'headmen' (account supervision, confidence of elders), giving criteria to judge whether a named title served as a headman rather than a different role.

Compare the functions attributed to known headmen here with duties associated with 'mahattara' (from snippet 1) or any occurrences of 'Pattakila' in primary sources to see if roles match.

Gives examples of other local headman designations (jotedars, mandals) showing terminological variety and social roles tied to 'village headmen'.

Use this example of terminological diversity to justify searching district- or caste-specific records for 'Pattakila' as a local headman term.

States the growing importance of the purohita (priest) and the power of Brahmanas in later Vedic society—showing that specialized ritual roles and titles existed and were socially significant.

A student could check medieval epigraphic and literary records for specific priestly titles (beyond 'purohita')—e.g., look for occurrences of 'Mahattara' or 'Pattakila' in inscriptions or lists of ritual specialists.

Notes that elaborate sacrifices (like ashvamedha) were performed by kings who 'depended on Brahmana priests to conduct the ritual'—implying named specialist priests conducted important rites.

Use this pattern to focus on records of major royal sacrifices in medieval sources (inscriptions, brahmana texts) where specialist priestly titles are most likely to be listed or rewarded.

Mentions Naneghat inscriptions describing a queen performing Vedic rituals and recording donations to 'priests'—an example of inscriptions naming ritual acts and beneficiaries.

Search similar inscription corpora (Naneghat, copper plates, temple grants) for named ritual specialists; if 'Mahattara' or 'Pattakila' appear, this would support the claim.

Says brahman priests provided legitimacy to kings through rituals in mahajanapadas—indicating institutionalized priestly roles that might carry specific titles across regions.

Compare regional administrative and ritual inscriptions from various mahajanapadas/kingdoms to see if local variants of priestly titles (e.g., terms in Prakrit, Sanskrit, or local languages) correspond to 'Mahattara'/'Pattakila'.

Records Pandya kings conducting named Vedic rites (ashvamedha, hiranyagarbha, vajapeya) in inscriptions—showing inscriptions routinely record ritual names and associated actors.

Investigate Pandya and other South Indian inscriptions (Velvikkudi plates, copper plates) for lists of ritual specialists and titles; presence/absence of the two terms there would be informative.

Mentions that the chief of a guild was registered in inscriptions as pattanswamy, pattnakilar (orthographically close to 'Pattakila') and dandanayaka, giving a direct example of a title used for a guild chief.

A student could compare the form 'pattnakilar' to regional variants like 'pattakila' on a map of inscriptions to see if they are the same title in different scripts/regions.

'Mahattara' appears as the head of an ashtakula-adhikarana and in compound vithi-mahattaras, showing 'mahattara' is a leadership/official title in inscriptions.

Extend by checking whether mahattara occurs in contexts naming guilds or craft bodies in other inscriptions or regions to test if it denoted guild chiefs as well as local officials.

Says each craft had a head called pamukha (pramukha) or jettha and was organized in a sreni (guild), illustrating that crafts used specific titles for heads—so multiple regional/periodal titles are plausible.

Use this pattern (different crafts use different local titles) to justify searching for 'mahattara'/'pattakila' as analogous regional titles for guild heads.

Narada and Brihaspati Smritis describe guilds having a chief and executive officers and written laws, indicating institutional roles existed that could bear distinct titles in inscriptions.

Combine this institutional expectation with epigraphic forms (like pattnakilar and mahattara) to hypothesize these terms could name guild chiefs and then check inscriptions where guild structure is described.