State and Government in Ancient India c23.s2.t6.2

c23.s2.t6.2

How the members of the Vishayamahattara council were selected or elected is not stated in the Gupta records. The terms Prathamaśreshthin and Prathamasārthavāha suggest that very probably the guilds of the bankers and traders were represented by their presidents. As far as the remaining members of the council are concerned, it would appear that different classes were represented by those persons among them who had acquired a pre-eminent status by their age, experience and character.