The Social Organisation in North-East India in Buddha's Time c12.5

c12.5

The ancient power of the people manifesting itself in the Samiti was transferred to the council of ministers and here it developed into a factor which had an extraordinary, and under certain circumstances, even a dominating, influence. We saw above, in the discussion relating to the succession of the king, that the decision regarding the succession to the throne was often left to the ministers; we also find mention of the actual exercise of sovereign powers by the ministers; besides the passage already quoted from the Gândhâra Jâtaka, it is mentioned in the Ghata Jâtaka also that the king, sick of worldly life, hands over the reins of government to the ministers (rajjam amaccânaṃ niyyâdetvâ.