Political History of Ancient India, from the Accession of Parikshit to the Extinction of the Gupta Dynasty c12.s2.39

c12.s2.39

Perhaps the most important institution of the free republics was the *Parishā*, the popular assembly, where young and old held frequent meetings, made their decisions and carried them out in concord. Kettledrums⁶ were used by an officer (styled *sabhāpāla* in the epic) to bring the people to the Mote Hall, called *Santhāgāra* in the Pali texts. The procedure is perhaps analogous to that followed in the Kuru-Pañchāla assembly mentioned in the *Jaiminīya Upanishad Brāhmaṇa*, in a palaver in Sakra's heaven described in the *Mahāgovinda Suttanta*, or in formal gatherings of the Chapters of the Buddhist Order referred to in the *Vinaya* texts. Members "are seated in a specified order. After the president has laid the proposed business before the assembly, others speak upon it, and recorders take charge of the unanimous decision arrived at."¹ If there is any disputation (*saṃvāda*) the matter is referred to a committee of arbitrators. It is possible that technical expressions like *āsana-prajñāpaka* (seat-betokener), *ñatti* (*jñapti*, motion), *śalākā-gāhāpaka* (ballot-collector), *gaṇa-pūraka* (whip), *ubbāhikā* (referendum) found in the Rules of the Order, were adopted from those in use in the assemblies of the free tribes or clans.