State and Government in Ancient India c18.s1.24

c18.s1.24

Probably all respectable householders were entitled to become the members of the Primary Assembly of the village. We have rather vague evidence on this point about early times and about northern India. There are, however, some indications showing that in Mahārāshṭra, the Primary Village Assembly consisted of all the householders.¹ There can be no doubt that such was the case in Karnāṭak and Tamil country from *c.* 600 A.D. Numerous inscriptions from Karnāṭak show that the number of the Mahājanas (Great Men of the village) was very large, sometimes 200, sometimes 420, sometimes 500, and sometimes even 1002.² There is clear evidence to show that they included all the village householders.³ All villagers were invited by the beat of the drum for the meeting of the Village Assemblies in Tamil country.