The village was the most fundamental unit of administration under the Pandyas. The affairs of a village were the responsibility of its elders, who were not elected but were recognized and appointed based on their age and status in society. There were two institutions for managing the affairs of a village – "Ambalam " and "Manram", the only difference between the two being the locations from which they operated. The "Manram" or "Podiyil" was a simple structure around the foot of a tree in the centre of the village, while the "Ambalam" or "Avai" was a small building on a slightly raised platform. The functions of these institutions were judicial, administrative and financial – they looked after the police duties, hearing and settling disputes, justice, sanitation, communicating royal orders, land surveys, revenue assessment and maintenance of roads and irrigation facilities. Only the transmission of locally collected taxes to the royal coffers was left to the king's revenue officers.