Public Administration in Ancient India c10.18

c10.18

⁴ In the Dulva, an interesting story is told of the rise of kingship in India. The story runs thus: After private property had come into existence, it happened one day that one person took another’s rice without his consent as if it was his own. Then the people thought, “Let us, in view of what has just happened, assemble together, and choose from our midst those who are the finest looking, the largest, the handsomest, and let us make them lords over our fields, and they shall punish those of us who do what is punishable, and they shall recompense those of us who do what is praiseworthy, and from the produce of our fields and of the fruits we gather, we will give them a portion.” So they gathered together, and made one of themselves lord over their fields with these words: “Henceforth thou shalt punish those of us who deserve punishment and recompense those of us who deserve recompense, and we shall give thee a portion of the produce of the fields and of the fruits we gather.” From his receiving the homages of all he was called ‘Mahāsammata’; and as he was lord over the fields and kept them from harm he received the name of ‘Protector of the fields’ or Kshatriya, and as he was a righteous man and wise, and one who brought happiness to mankind with the law, he was called ‘Rājā’ (King). The life of the Buddha derived from the Tibetan Works (Rockhill), p. 7. This theory of a compact between the King and the people is to be found in other books in somewhat different forms. See also Mahāvamsa, Ch. II.