[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Polity, law and society](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity) › [State and Government in Ancient India](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.altekar-1949) › c19.s1.1 # State and Government in Ancient India c19.s1.1 State and Government in Ancient India c19.s1.1 - **Language:** English ### [c19.s1.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.altekar-1949.c19.s1.1) In addition to the above official courts, there were a number of popular courts in the ancient Indian polity, which constituted one of its special features. We have already indicated how the \*sabhā\* of the Vedic age probably functioned as a popular court. The \*Arthaśāstra\* polity was a highly centralised one, but it left a number of causes to be decided by unofficial courts. Disputes about the boundaries were to be settled by the village elders.¹ Causes concerning the affairs of the temples, Brāhmaṇas, ascetics, women, minors, old and invalid persons were also to be decided by the Dharmasthas or unofficial jurors.² What precisely was the nature of these cases, and how and by whom the Dharmasthas were selected and what was their number is not known to us. - [Previous: c19.37](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.altekar-1949.c19.37) - [Next: c19.s1.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.altekar-1949.c19.s1.2) - [Up: c19.s1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.altekar-1949.c19.s1) ## Linked texts (2) - [Kauṭilīya Arthaśāstra](https://indike.org/pramana/in.niti.artha.kautilya) — Kauṭilya, Sanskrit - [Ṛgvedasaṃhitā](https://indike.org/pramana/in.veda.samhita.rg) — Sanskrit --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.altekar-1949.c19.s1.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.polity.altekar-1949.c19.s1.1) · Pramāṇa