State and Government in Ancient India c24.3

c24.3

Several types of states like republics, oligarchies, diarchies and monarchies were prevailing in India in ancient times, but eventually monarchy became the order of the day. This phenomenon was not peculiar to ancient India; it repeated itself in ancient Europe also where we find the republics in Greece and Italy being gradually supplanted by monarchies and empires. Representative government was not known both to the ancient East and West, and so republics could function only when the state was small and frequent meetings of its Assembly consisting practically of all the senior members of its privileged order were possible. As in the ancient republics of Greece and Italy, political power was vested not in the whole population, but in the members of a small privileged order, mostly consisting of Kshatriyas and perhaps of the Brāhmaṇas also in a few cases. The Hindu polity worked in a society that had accepted the principle of the caste system, which laid down that government was primarily the function and duty of the Kshatriyas, assisted to some extent by the Brāhmanas. Franchise in the ancient Indian republics could, therefore not be extended to the whole population. In the modern age, which does not believe in the predetermination of one’s functions by birth, it will naturally have to be extended to all. The constitution of republican India has already done so.