State and Government in Ancient India c11.9

c11.9

When the curtain rises to reveal to us the historic period from *c.* 500 B. C., we find the *samitis* or the Central Assemblies disappearing from the scene. Our constitutional thinkers, therefore, do not divide the inhabitants into two classes, citizens who possessed franchise for Central Assemblies and others who did not enjoy it. The village councils, town committees and district boroughs, however, developed in a remarkable manner during this period, and their members are frequently referred to. It was however the status, experience and seniority which raised individuals to the executive committees of these bodies, and not a popular election in the modern sense of the term. In south India we definitely know that the members of the village Panchāyats were selected by lot from among people possessing high moral, literary and property qualifications. The villagers, however, had a general assembly which is described as *pūga* in the Smṛiti literature. It consisted of all the village elders, variously described as *mahattaras*, *mahājanas* or *perumāls* in the different parts of the country. This was a truly democratic body because all castes and professions were represented in it, including even the untouchables.¹ As there was no distinction between privileged and non-privileged class in the sphere of the local government, it is not referred to by our constitutional writers.