State and Government in Ancient India c13.114

c13.114

Let us now consider the Central Executive of the *Gaṇa* state. Its membership varied with the size and traditions of each state. The Malla state, which was small, had an executive of four members only, all of whom are known to have taken a prominent part at the funeral of the Buddha. The Lichchhavis, whose state was a bigger one, had a council of nine, though the membership of their Assembly numbered 7,707. The confederation of the Lichchhavis and the Videhas had an executive of 18. We have no information of the strength of the executive of the larger states like the Yaudheyas, the Mālavas and the Kshudrakas, but their number could not have been much bigger.