A vishaya (IAST: Viṣaya) was a historical administrative unit of India, generally equivalent to a modern district.
[1] Several other terms for units equivalent to a modern district appear in historical inscriptions, including āhāra, rashtra (rāṣṭra), maṇḍala, and deśa.
The exact meaning of these terms varies by the period, the ruling dynasty, and the region.
[1] A vishaya was often included in a larger subdivisions such as a bhukti (province).
[2] In the early medieval inscriptions of Maharashtra region, Punyaka-vishaya is another name for Pune mentioned in Rashtrakuta Kingdom copper plate dated 937 CE, which refers to the town as Punya-Vishaya, meaning 'sacred news'.