Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c12.s2.32

c12.s2.32

It will perhaps not be quite out of place to say here a few words about the internal organisation of the republics. Space, however, forbids a detailed treatment of the subject. They fall mainly into two classes, *viz.*, those that were constituted by the whole or a section of a single clan (*kula*) *e.g.*, the Sākyas, the Koliyas, the Mallas of Kusinārā, the Mallas of Pāvā etc., and those that comprised several clans like the Vṛijis (Vajjis) and the Yādavas. The distinguishing feature of a state of this type is the absence of *one* single hereditary monarch who exercised *full* control over it. The *Basileus*, if he survived at all, must have done so as a mere magistracy or as a dignified part of the constitution.¹ The efficient part comprised a president (*chief, gaṇapati, gaṇajyeṣṭha, gaṇarāja, saṁghamukhya*) and a council of archons taken from the ruling class. Such a president was Cheṭaka of Vaiśālī and Akouphis of Nysa in later times, the terrestrial counterpart of Indra, in his capacity as the *Jyeṣṭha* of the Marud-gaṇa.² According to a Jaina tradition the number of members of the supreme executive in charge of foreign and military affairs was in some states nine.³ There were functionaries like *uparājās* and *senāpatis* who exercised judicial and military functions. All these Elders possibly answer to the *Mahallakas* of Pāli texts and *Mahattaras* of the *Vāyu Purāṇa*,⁴ whom it was the duty of the citizens to respect and support.